As financial resources dry up and affordable educational loans become more scarce, the SCHOLARgifts crowdfunding platform provides the answer to funding your learning needs as it positions you to benefit from the market shift toward collective fundraising in a unique way.
What does an archeological dig in Egypt have in common with violin training, community lessons, public education about a debilitating disease, and college tuition? They are all campaigns on SCHOLARgifts—the exciting new crowdfunding website launched last month. SCHOLARgifts is a website where family, friends, teachers, mentors, co-workers, neighbors, and others can donate money to diverse educational needs, in exchange for customized appreciation rewards and the satisfaction of seeding educational growth. http://www.scholargifts.com.
“A year ago I had never heard of crowdfunding.” says DC lawyer Nkechi Taifa, creator and CEO of the new company. “Then last spring my college-age daughter asked me to pay for her study-abroad dream trip. I balked. Being unqualified for need-based aid and already borrowing from Peter, Paul, and Mary to foot her steep and ever-rising college tuition, I said with tough love, ‘Sweetie, you’re on your own.’” But never underestimate a college student with a dream. Seemingly magical, and in less than 30 days, Taifa’s daughter successfully raised more than $3,000 over the Internet—all from small financial gifts from family, friends, and even complete strangers. “This was the inspiration that gave rise to SCHOLARgifts,” says Taifa.
“It’s collective fundraising for a specific educational purpose with no red tape or hassle, no essay or recommendations, no income qualifications, and no competition. All that is needed is the desire to succeed and the ability to motivate others to invest in making learning a reality.”
With SCHOLARgifts, a crowd of people helps a scholar succeed by donating financial gifts to an approved campaign—be it for academics, enrichment, research and study, training and licenses, or any other education-related goal. Crowdfunding is already taking the country by storm. Even the Obama administration has given crowdfunding its seal of approval: just last year the president signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which lets businesses raise funds in small increments from many investors—the essence of crowdfunding. As President Barack Obama put it: this is “a potential game changer.” And it’s just the kind of innovative strategy millions of American families need to help fill the gap between soaring tuition costs and fewer available education loans. SCHOLARgifts leverages small gifts into big impact, helping to finance diverse educational needs.
The SCHOLARgifts team includes accomplished lawyers, professors, educators, finance professionals, musicians, and authors—including the former treasurer of the District of Columbia,the author of the best-seller The African American Entrepreneur, and the former Executive Director of an innovative public charter school. So, whether you need money to take a standardized test preparation course, enroll in summer camp, purchase books and supplies, or supplement living expenses while doing an unpaid internship, SCHOLARgifts can help fund your educational needs.
SCHOLARgifts.com has just launched. Visit http://www.scholargifts.com. Create your own campaign or encourage someone you know to do so. Or check out the website and become a “Gifter”—because “Individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean!”
