A Giving Experiment — Connecting “Facebook-like-clickers” to my Travels Through Charity
Goal
- To connect my “travel stories audience” to my travels through charity
- Allow those people to experience more joy from the giving experience from across the world
Context
I was traveling in Cebu, Philippines and posting pictures and stories of my encounters on my Facebook profile. I got a lot of positive responses, especially to pictures I posted with locals:
My hypothesis
It is possible to use the internet and my personal connection to my audience to improve the giving experience.
The Outreach
I was invited by a group of local Filipinos who were doing an outreach program to bring staples and toys to kids who lived in the remote hills. These people would be classified as “low income,” though I assume a lot of their material needs are met without going through the traditional economy at all.
I solicited for participants on Facebook. I had 9 participants who gave a total of $200. A standard wage for a month’s salary is about $120 in that area. Here is the video from the outreach program that I posted for people to see:
Takeaways
It was a successful execution, but nothing compellingly different from other charity activities.
People liked the photos and video I posted. Most of the public comments, however, were focused on me, and not the participants as I had intended. I also got positive remarks when I asked people how they felt about the whole experience:
Yes, it was a nice Christmas feeling, to help give something to others who are in need
That said, I would say the event overall did not differ much from a giving scenario where you receive handwritten letters and pictures of a child you support. This in part because I resisted the temptation to take a lot of credit for any particular items being handed out, like by telling the kiddos the participants names, because… it’s complicated.
What’s Next
My inspiration for this activity comes from my many experiences of how easily I can spend money on something trivial, yet aware of how much someone else might enjoy that money.
As much as this is a loving thought, it is even more a fascinating one to an economist: How can we design giving so it sucks less? So I might capture some reflected joy without demeaning the recipient? This is the first of a series of experiments around this — Please follow or add me as a friend on Facebook if you want to see them.
