Alright, this is probably going to get the stink eye from many people, but I think it’s a pretty cool idea. There’s a new start-up called ChipIn that allows users to collect money from individuals all over the internet.
How it works:
It’s basically a glorified “Donate” button on that you see on many blogs. Signing up is free. You can decide to receive your money through PayPal or check. After filling out the sign up info, you create your ChipIn projects. It can be anything from saving money to buy a domain name or raising money to fight breast cancer. You set how much you want to raise, when you need it by, and how you wish to collect funds. Your project will be posted on the site and people can decide if they wish to donate to your cause. You can also create a widget that can be placed on your blog or MySpace page which allows people to donate. Usually donations are small, but with the collective of the internet, small amounts can add up fast.
Over at Profy, they ran a test and were able to raise $1,000 in a week. Pretty impressive.
I’m sure people are going to think “Dadgummit. You gotta work to save for a mission. If you don’t work, you won’t receive the blessings.” I’m not suggesting that one should only use ChipIn to raise mission funds. I think it would be helpful when potential missionaries come up short on funds. And who are we to deny gentiles the blessings of donating to building up the kingdom?
My concern is how does this site avoid scams? Because it seems pretty scamable. I guess it just works on trust. Some people are going to get burned, though. Check it out.
dyejo
Guest Author
Jill Holmes
