Source: TakePart - Inspiration to Action
What it's all about: You've heard of micro-lending. But have you heard of micro-philanthropy? Instead of loaning small amounts—say, $100—to wannabe entrepreneurs with the expectation that they'll pay you back once they start earning money, micro-philanthropy entails giving sums as little as $5 to nonprofit groups.And now that the Great Recession has taken a bite out of charitable giving, every dollar counts.
IOBY stands for In Our Backyard. It aims to counter the "not in my backyard" attitude that typically saddles lower-income communities with environmentally undesirable projects. According to its website, "[we support] communities with a larger share of environmental problems and fewer resources to confront them."
How it works: The site allows NYC nonprofits, such as community garden and composting groups, to list their small-scale projects—such as an installation of solar panels on a gazebo or a canning workshop—along with the total funds needed to make the project a go. Site visitors choose a project and decide how much they'd like to kick in. Once a project is fully funded, IOBY.org transfers the money to the nonprofit. (Projects that don't raise the necessary funds are reviewed by IOBY staff members to see if they can be completed on a smaller scale. If not, the funds are distributed to similar projects.)
Why we dig it: The site helps important grassroots projects take off; it also teaches people that "the environment" isn't only in the polar ice caps or the Amazon rainforest—it's also in the concrete canyons of Gotham.