Knight Foundation supports Benevolent to enable citizens to engage with each other by providing one-time assistance through an online platform. Below, Megan Kashner, founder and CEO of Benevolent, writes about the introduction of the program in two communities where Knight focuses some of its work.

For low-income individuals, reaching goals towards self-sufficiency can hinge on a one-time economic hurdle: a uniform for a new job, a security deposit for a new apartment or an unforeseen challenge that pops up.

I launched Benevolent in Chicago two years ago to transform the way people provide and receive support, bringing dignity and self-determination to both sides of the giving equation. The site uses a crowd-funding model to enable anyone to make micro-donations to help meet those smaller needs that fall through gaps in our social safety net.

Thanks to the support and vision of Knight Foundation, we are proud to announce today that Benevolent is officially launching in two new communities: Charlotte, N.C., and Silicon Valley. The number of Charlotte families living in poverty has doubled since 2000, reaching over 13 percent in 2010. Silicon Valley has a steady influx of transient workers, many of whom earn below-average wages while struggling to meet a cost of living that is more than 50 percent higher than the national average.

With $200,000 in support from the Knight Foundation, Benevolent has been able to put boots on the ground in Charlotte and Silicon Valley in this early stage of expansion. Our newly hired community engagement managers have already begun forging partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, from Speak Up Magazine and Latin American Coalition in Charlotte to Center for Employment Training and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County in Silicon Valley. This augments the work we are already doing. Benevolent has forged partnerships with nonprofits in 16 different states and hired a community engagement manager in Detroit, another Knight community, with support from the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund.

After working with local nonprofit partners who identify their clients with specific needs, Benevolent then provides each with a profile page. Each page includes personal stories, photos and videos describing the person’s need and how meeting it will help him or her pursue a goal of work, education or personal sustainability. Funds raised through Benevolent are sent as a grant to the local nonprofit, which then fills their client’s need. What resonates well with both donors and recipients is the follow-up, including updates in which recipients share the impact of having the need met.

Many of these updates read like this one from a North Carolina woman who needed her car repaired so that she could continue working towards her employment goals while caring for her aging father:

“May God richly bless all those who donated in support of me. It is difficult to explain how relieved I feel. As I left the auto repair shop Wednesday, I felt so blessed and thankful, actually I was overwhelmed.” 

With stories of personal impact and personal connections like this, Benevolent is attracting everyday donors who might give as little as $5 or as much as $80 as important and valued actors in improving people’s prospects.

During a testing period in Charlotte over the summer, Benevolent helped many local residents achieve their goals, including Ruth, a woman seeking employment who needed $450 for an eye exam and new prescription glasses, and Matt, who needed $505 to buy equipment for the lawn care work he engages in with other formerly homeless men in Charlotte.

Benevolent’s proven model will help low-income Charlotte and Silicon Valley residents get on the road to self-sufficiency by inviting community members to donate to meet these critical one­time needs. By making the act of giving and helping a personal experience, we allow people to make a direct impact on a neighbor’s life and play a crucial role in creating a stronger, more connected and more caring community. We’re excited to see how the Charlotte and Silicon Valley communities make their Benevolent experience their own and shape their giving to the needs of their neighbors.