Benevolent
Grant
Benevolent is a digital nonprofit that makes it possible for low-income individuals in the U.S. to access the support they need to overcome one-time barriers to pursue their goals and sustain their families.
Benevolent (www.benevolent.net) is a digital nonprofit that invites everyday givers to step in and help one low-income American over a particular hurdle at one moment in time. In giving as little as $10, donors can help a young man get the steel-toed boots he needs to take an offered job, a mom get a laptop to do her school work at night while her kids sleep, a newly housed family acquire the beds they need to make a new start, and more. Benevolent works with local nonprofits and service professionals to validate each need, providing 100% transparency. Each story is presented in the recipient’s own voice, using both text and video.
Summary
When a family is asset-poor and on the financial margins, often a single hurdle can be the thing that leads to falling short of their goals. A Brookings Institute study of financial fragility in the U.S. found that “Almost half of all U.S. households surveyed report that they either certainly or probably could not come up with the funds to deal with an ordinary financial shock of this size [$2,000].” At Benevolent, we’ve found that small hurdles - even those costing just $300 to $700 to overcome - can represent huge barriers in the lives of low-income families pursuing a path toward financial stability and strength.
Funds to meet these hurdles - uniforms or bus fare for a new job, furniture for a first apartment, a laptop to succeed in school, funds for certifications and training, and other basic one-time challenges - can be the lynchpin of progress. Benevolent invites everyday givers into these challenges by presenting first-person stories of striving low-income adults who face a singular need along the way towards their self-determined goals.
By introducing the first-ever micro-giving platform with 100% validation and transparency, Benevolent provides an outlet for the kindness people are eager to show one another.
Partnering with local nonprofit partners for validation, fulfillment and reporting, Benevolent helps low-income families meet their own goals and move forward towards stability and overall well-being.
Impact
Benevolent is transforming the act of giving by using today’s technology to deliver a unique, intimate giving experience suited to the human instinct to help a person with whom we can connect. By familiarizing people with one identified person with one catalytic need, Benevolent introduces a new form of civic engagement - a real way to step in and help in a validated, secure setting. Individuals want to provide direct help. We ensure that the impact of that help contributes positively and responsibly to progress for people and communities, complementing existing supports.
To-date, our average gift in support of a need is $52 while the median gift amount is $25. We’ve worked with over 75 nonprofits nationwide meeting more than 450 individual needs. Benevolent stands ready for significant scale and broad-reaching partnerships.
