$2 million Boston victims, its not even a week after the tragic events at the Boston Marathon, crowdfunds websites have already allocated over $2 million dollars in pledges for the victims and families of the April 15 attack.
NBC News reported April 21 that online sites that engage in Crowdfunding – a term used to describe the collective effort of individuals who network online and pool their money for charities – have received more than 23,000 pledges promising more than $2 million in aid.
That includes nearly $500,000 earmarked specifically for Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Mass., the mother-daughter duo who were both severely injured while waiting together at the finish line.
Another $560,000 has been pledged to Boston newlyweds Jessica and Patrick Downes, who each lost a leg in the attack.
“All of us were like, ‘How can we help?’” said Leslie Kelly, 56, of Pebble Beach, Calif., whose two daughters grew up with Jessica Downes. “We felt so helpless. I thought, we can’t all send flowers. I couldn’t sleep all night. I got up the next morning and started a Wells Fargo account.”
Kelly then started an account at crowdfunding site GoFundMe, a charitable site that sends cash for victims of everything from cancer to car crashes.
“Crowdfunding is actually very empowering to the donors and supporters,” said Brad Damphousse, chief executive of GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $1.3 million through its “Believe in Boston” campaigns. “It’s a way of being part of the solution instead of smoldering about the problem.”
While officials applaud the unselfish giving, they also urge caution.
“You want to make sure that the money you donate goes to the intended party,” said Allan Bachman, education manager for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
The top crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, GiveForward and YouCaring all say any account set up for fundraising purposes is completely vetted and monitored to make sure no illegal or unscrupulous misdirection of funds occurs.
“We’ll suspend and investigate the fundraiser after one flag,” said Ethan Austin, co-founder and president of GiveForward, which has raised more than $41 million since it started in 2008.
NBC News reported April 21 that online sites that engage in Crowdfunding – a term used to describe the collective effort of individuals who network online and pool their money for charities – have received more than 23,000 pledges promising more than $2 million in aid.
That includes nearly $500,000 earmarked specifically for Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Mass., the mother-daughter duo who were both severely injured while waiting together at the finish line.
Another $560,000 has been pledged to Boston newlyweds Jessica and Patrick Downes, who each lost a leg in the attack.
“All of us were like, ‘How can we help?’” said Leslie Kelly, 56, of Pebble Beach, Calif., whose two daughters grew up with Jessica Downes. “We felt so helpless. I thought, we can’t all send flowers. I couldn’t sleep all night. I got up the next morning and started a Wells Fargo account.”
Kelly then started an account at crowdfunding site GoFundMe, a charitable site that sends cash for victims of everything from cancer to car crashes.
“Crowdfunding is actually very empowering to the donors and supporters,” said Brad Damphousse, chief executive of GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $1.3 million through its “Believe in Boston” campaigns. “It’s a way of being part of the solution instead of smoldering about the problem.”
While officials applaud the unselfish giving, they also urge caution.
“You want to make sure that the money you donate goes to the intended party,” said Allan Bachman, education manager for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
The top crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, GiveForward and YouCaring all say any account set up for fundraising purposes is completely vetted and monitored to make sure no illegal or unscrupulous misdirection of funds occurs.
“We’ll suspend and investigate the fundraiser after one flag,” said Ethan Austin, co-founder and president of GiveForward, which has raised more than $41 million since it started in 2008.