If traditional jobs are few and far between, why not find a way to employ people in unconventional ways? That’s what these social enterprises are doing – using creative solutions to provide direct funding for worthy projects. Whether they’re art groups, community organizations, or local charities, the point of these social enterprises is to put people to work in meaningful ways using funds raised by communities.
Microgrants Fund Creative Projects in Cities through Social Enterprise
This innovative micro-funding idea helps to generate money for creative projects in the city of Detroit and others like it. For the past two years, Detroit SOUP hosts a monthly dinner – soup, salad, bread, and pie – to raise awareness and funds for a local project. The entrance fee is $5 per person and anyone can attend the dinner, which takes place on the second Sunday of each month. Local community members and restaurants donate the food to keep costs really low.
During the evening, four creative projects present their proposals and dinner guests are then encouraged to vote on their favorite. Whichever project garners the greatest support receives the funds raised that evening – usually between $600 and $900. Find a guide for creating your own at crowdsourced funding project at SundaySoup.org.
Crowdfunding Start-up Provides Funds to Employ Americans Working for Charities
Yet another creative approach to crowdsourcing funds for charitable organizations, Giifa works to match private donors willing to provide funds for employee wages in nonprofits around the world. Not only does this approach help to solve crushing unemployment problems in the US, it also makes it possible to staff charities so that they can continue their good work.
Individual donors can give one-time gifts of $20 or more, directing it to a charity of their choice. The social enterprise is still in its infancy, but hopes to grow to help provide many jobs to member organizations in the coming months.
