Tweet
Funding projects with the crowd
Published: Friday | July 19, 2013 Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer
Five months ago, Donna and Emile Gabbadon launched Jamaica Land We Love (Jalawelo), a crowdfunding website that allows followers to invest in Jamaica's future by making contributions to worthy community development projects sponsored by non-profit organisations working in Jamaica.
Crowdfunding is not a new concept, however, the difference is that Jalawelo is a non-profit corporation that hosts only non-profit projects for Jamaica. The concept, according to Executive Director Donna Gabbadon, is funding projects through small contributions once the project has been identified.
"Jalawelo is not like many other crowdfunding sites, in that the organisation does not allow projects to be overfunded and takes only what is needed in order to account for every dollar spent on each project," Gabbadon told The Gleaner during an interview this week.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Gabbadon states that the organisation does not believe that anyone should be asked to support a project if they cannot have a reasonable degree of confidence that their funds will be used for the purpose for which it was given.
"Our projects are created with a budget breakdown and our member organisations are required to demonstrate when the project is complete that the funds have been spent appropriately. In addition, they can comment on projects they support on the website," Gabbadon said.
Gabbadon noted that the pledges are received and the source of funding verified. However, unless the project is fully pledged by the deadline, no money is collected, and the project is cancelled.
Integrity
"Integrity and trust are of foremost importance to the organisation. We emphasise transparency with donors and prospective donors and seek to establish that funds are received and spent appropriately," she said.
Gabbadon is a co-founder of Informant Technologies Inc, an information technology company that provides records management software solutions to college and university public safety departments and municipal police departments in the United States and Canada.
So far, they have completed two projects, one at the Holy Family Infant and Primary School in downtown Kingston, where they provided computers and other learning equipment, successfully funded by 47 donors at a cost of US$3,404 (J$343,804).
They have also provided assistance to the Amritt Basic School in St Mary in which a perimeter fence was erected to secure the property and protect the children. Thirty-three pledges were made totalling US$1,948 (J$196,748).
"Our concept is wide. Once there is a need for assistance, we are willing to help. However, we do not directly fund individuals. We offer assistance through non-profit organisations," Gabbadon said.
There is hope
"We want to reach out to Jamaicans and those in the diaspora to build a momentum and create some enthusiasm and hope that things can change. If it's small enough to tackle, we can be strong enough to win. Once we put our minds, head and hearts together, we can make a difference," Gabbadon said.
For more information on Jamaica Land We Love crowdfunding initiative, visit their website at: www.jalawelo.org.
keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com
Comment