With just over R1 million raised, over 1500 donations, and more than a dozen projects fully funded – Different.org’s vision to be the leading change maker in South Africa is one step closer after its first funding milestone was reached in less than 18 months. Crowdfunding has increasingly become a popular form of funding. Internationally, revenue from crowdfunding is expected to reach $30 billion in 2015. Raising money has clearly become big business but the competition is fierce and people only have so much to give. So what makes Different.org different and why will it rise above other crowdfunding startups?
100% goes to the project
Different.org has two major advantages over nearly all other ‘competitors’. Firstly, Different.org charges nothing to be on their platform. Businesses, including crowdfunding sites, need to create revenue to survive. Most do this through charging commissions on donations which vary anywhere from 3 – 10%, excluding transaction fees. Different.org’s running costs are covered by Different Life, enabling a platform focused on giving 100% of all funds received directly to the projects, including transaction fees.
Multiple funding streams
Different.org also has a unique method for project funding. All of the projects have three potential funding streams: direct donations (credit card, electronic funds transfer), a payroll giving scheme (Give As You Earn), and the Different Donation.
The Different Donation has the potential to be the most impactful in terms of funding. This system allows Different Life policyholders to donate their first and every subsequent anniversary payment to projects on the platform. Every year as Different Life sells policies and policies become one year older, policyholders get their Different.org user wallets credited with one payment which they can donate to a project of their choice. This kind of funding has a compound effect as one year builds upon the next, and with expansion, this system could potentially make millions available each year to NGOs on the platform.
A crowdfunding system that is better than the rest
These two factors combined with Different.org’s stringent vetting process for projects provides a much higher probability of projects getting fully funded. Multiple funding streams, most importantly the Different Donation, provide for a projected funding cycle enabling planning of projects in advance while no valuable and hard fought donations go to commission. The vetting process and the funding model helps instill donor confidence in the platform and the delivery of the projects.
Currently only one project on the system ended without reaching its funding goal. In contrast, an estimated 60% of crowdfunding projects on even the the most well known platforms never get funded. Different.org achieves what very few crowdfunding platforms can, namely sustainable and almost certain funding for projects. Removing the uncertainty and effort required around fundraising for NGOs is a game changer in South Africa and the reason why Different.org thinks it can be the leading change maker in this country.
Diepsloot Art & Culture Network :
Good afternoon
To the person who may concern we are a Diepsloot Art & Culture Network.
I am a member of the company . I spoke with the lady I think is Leoni but she said she will come back.
we are small company we are looking for donation .but now we just volunteering so we hope to get more from you
we thank you
SimoneG replied :
Hi Lydia, good to hear from you! If you have a registered NGO, and want to apply to be featured on Different.org, then please can you go to this page and complete an application form: https://different.org/non-governmental-organizations/. You can also have a look at our mandate, to see if our organisation aligns with yours. Thank you for making South Africa a better place 🙂
Leoni :
I hope you are well. Compass takes care of 96 women and children that have either been abused or abandoned. Compass has 4 homes and 1 crèche in Johannesburg, in the Edenvale area. We don’t get any form of assistance from the State (Government) that is why we rely on Companies such as yours for assistance to keep our children in a loved and cared for environment. We find ourselves in dire straits and on a survival level having to depend on your generosity. I have 15 children that are in need of assistance. I would like to appeal to your heart to assist me with a sponsorship for 1 or more children at the amount or R 2100.00 per child which will sustain and help us look after a child for a period of 2 months. I will provide you with the necessary documents to claim this money back from SARS. Please help us to keep our vision for these children alive. The amount required will cover firstly the housing, food, clothing, schooling and medical attention. Please hear my PLEA
Any assistance you can give will be most gratefully appreciated. Hoping for your favourable consideration. All relevant documentation is attached. Any sponsorship(s) made to the organisation is tax deductible as we attain a Section 18A as well as a BEE Accredit (more than 75%) for your rating and scoring.
Kindest regards
leoni van rooyen
0110876900 / 0632935718
SimoneG replied :
Hi Leoni, thank you for visiting the Different.org blog. Here’s a link to our application form if you would like to apply to be featured on Different.org: https://different.org/non-governmental-organizations/ We look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Simon
Jose Julius :
To share an idea for a perfect fund raiser! Help people in the community and educate them about the importance of saving paper and exchanging it for gold. Gold which can be used to pay for goods and services.
matthew maphosa :
iam impresed with the support which is been given and iam encouraging the supoters to contiune suport different organisation’s projects