Piggybackr helps kids fundraise online
A former Girl Scout who sold her share of Thin Mints, Andrea Lo remembers the challenges of fundraising as a child.
A few years ago, she also saw it firsthand with her then-11-year-old sister, who wanted to sell handmade bracelets to raise money for an environmental nonprofit.
Through e-mail outreach and a website created for her fundraiser, her sister ended up raising more than $400 for her nonprofit.
The experience with her sister sparked Lo to launch Piggybackr, a crowdfunding site for students to raise money for their school, sports teams, extracurricular activities and other causes.
A Kickstarter for the younger, still-in-braces set, the San Francisco startup aims not only to help kids raise funds online, but also to teach them about money, marketing and building relationships with donors.
Students create a dedicated page for their project, set a fundraising goal and explain why they're asking for money.
Piggybackr guides students through the process, rewarding them with badges as they take key fundraising steps such as e-mailing potential supporters.
A lot of kids didn't know what to say or how to tell their story, so we offer a lot of guidance around teaching them to talk about what they're doing and how to tell a compelling story.
No one necessarily wants to buy (candy bars, gift wrap, cookies, etc.).
How do you keep kids safe online?
Do you worry that fundraising online makes it too easy for kids, since they need to learn how to deal with face-to-face rejection?