Have you heard of The Feathers Project yet? The Feathers Project is a startup non-profit organization trying to revolutionize the way people do charity. They have branches in Muntinlupa City, Philippines and New York, USA, and use technology to connect their beneficiaries to their donors.
For those who are philanthropic in nature, sponsorship of a less-fortunate person or a family that they have neither met nor talked to is not something new. In fact, these days, this is quite the norm. Very little to no actual physical interaction happens between the donor and the sponsor most of the time, and this tends to make the sponsorship experience less meaningful.
After years of brainstorming and research, Feathers finally came up with a solution that could make each charitable giving through sponsorship more meaningful – to both the sponsor and the donor.
With Feathers, sponsors and beneficiaries are now connected in a virtual meeting, via web conference (think “Skype” or “FaceTime”). This virtual meeting enables the donor and sponsored family to learn more about each other – allowing natural human connection to occur during the process.
David West, founder of Feathers Project, got inspired to use the same technology he is using in his for-profit businesses when he created Feathers. He said that, “For years I searched for a cause that could engage my employees in a meaningful way. My search came to an end one night while staying with a Filipino family in extreme financial pain.
It occurred to me that it would be possible to give affluent families in other countries a glimpse of what I was experiencing by using web conferencing technologies that are almost free today. One cannot be exposed to such conditions at some level without wanting to help.”
As of June, Feathers is already helping 54 families, and this number is growing each week. Feathers is currently helping the community of Muntinlupa, but is planning to expand its operation in the near future. Donations given to the sponsored families are given to them 100% – without overhead and transaction fees. This is made possible by corporation donations of Buy-It-Forward companies, Civicom and TeamSpan.
The Feathers Project accepts referrals of the “poorest of the poor” families that you may know who need help. They accept donations, too. The Feathers Project is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID Number: 47-5431677) in the United States, and a registered non-stock corporation in the Philippines.
The Feathers Project
sponsor@feathersproject.org
www.feathersproject.org
