Are you facing medical or other bills that you don't know how you will possibly pay? An unexpected vet bill for your cat or dog?
More and more families are turning to other people for help ....and getting it.
Just a Click of the Mouse
$1,500. $5,200. $11,000. All of it raised by local families.
All it takes is a need, a few clicks of a mouse, and a touching story, like that of 8 year old Jackson Paeth.
Despite his special needs, he has as an infectious smile and a love of bubble gum. "Cherry!" he roared.
Each morning his mom Cheryl sends Jackson off to school with a big hug and a smile.
But at 75 pounds, he's getting too big for Mom to lift, and she desperately needs a mobility van. A wheelchair van, though, costs $50,00. "Everything we need for Jackson costs more," Paeth said.
So she set up crowdfunding webpage atGoFundMe.com.
The goal: 10 grand toward a "Jackmobile,"as she calls it.
"We don't expect anyone to just give us a whole brand new van. Of course that would be nice, but we don't expect that."
Money Starts Coming in
But the money is now coming in. In just a few weeks, dozens of people have contributed more than $3,000 toward her goal.
Crowdfunding or crowdsourcing has exploded in popularity.
On GoFundMe, you will find campaigns for....
- A child's medical fund....
- A young woman hoping to attend an opera academy.
- Pets with unexpected high vet bills
How to Raise Money
Want to try it? Go Fund Me says to be successful you need a cause, ideally with an emotional hook.
- Medical expenses.
- Volunteer programs.
- Funerals and memorials.
- Youth sports programs.
- Pets in need.
You can sign up for free: Go Fund Me takes a small cut of the money raised.
Some people have used it to try to start a business or take a vacation, but Go Fund Me tells me those pitches tend not to be as successful.
So far, the Jackmobile fundis up to $3,000. It's hard to resist....given that smile.
As always, don't waste your money.
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