Crowdfunding the homeless

PHOENIX—A new startup is taking an “Uber/Kick-starter” approach to caring for the homeless and those in need. NameTBD digitally connects givers to nearby hungry and homeless individuals and families and helps take care of their basic needs through mobile micro-donations. 

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This is not a real press release. It’s just a rough idea I am putting out there to get it out of my head and to practice writing in this style, but if someone made it real I would use it!

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Would you donate to that hungry person on the side of the road or the family on the other side of town who just lost their house if it was as simple as a touch of a button? That’s the mission of NameTBD, a startup that has created a modern take on giving to those in need. With the same simplicity of finding a nearby place to buy lunch, NameTBD users can feed someone who otherwise wouldn’t know when they will eat lunch again. Those who find themselves in a homeless or persistently hungry situation now have a new source of support through a mobile app and a website they might access at public libraries or a host of locations. 

“Our team didn’t want users to ever feel like their donation isn’t going to do any good, because the opposite is always true. Every donation helps. Its the aggregation of small donations that makes this so powerful.” says CEO, the CEO of NameTBD who personally interviewed and selected the first batch of people in need to receive help on the app. “It wouldn’t be a very good experience to get on the app and be overwhelmed by how many people needed help. We had heard stories about AirBNB and others like Pinterest carefully curating the early experiences on their platforms, so we personally interviewed potential donation receivers to identify those who might rebound the fastest or transform their lives the most by having help meeting their basic needs so that they could focus on the things that would get them back on their feet.” The extra attention helped the app retain early adopters, and the practice of interviewing recipients before they can start receiving donations on the app continues today. 

It seems to be working. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recently announced a grant to expand NameTBD to homeless in the Phoenix Metro area and surrounding cities following a successful beta test. “The act of giving to those in need strengthens communities,” says Governor Ducey. The government will assist with signing up those in need on the app, and begin funding some basic recurring donations to those in need. Ducey continues, “Often homelessness a temporary situation, and NameTBD enables the great people in our communities help each other get back on their feet.” 

Potential givers use a companion mobile app and or website that displays an Uber-like map experience with icons representing people in need. Colored markers provide a visual cue to whether those homeless individuals or families have the money they need that day to meet their basic needs. Clicking on one of the person or family icons leads to an anonymized funding page that briefly explains that person or family’s situation and how donations are making a difference in their path back to self-reliance. Donations are intended to fund a basic need that day such as putting a few dollars toward buying dinner or paying for a motel room. Payments do not go directly to the receivers as cash. Instead, a notification is provided to the receiver alerting them of the donation, and donations are redeemed on location and paid directly to the establishment after the service is provided to prevent misuse and fraud. Cash does not pass through the hands of the recipients to ensure these donations are fulfilling basic needs.

“A couple of times in the past when I have been approached by someone who was homeless and asking for money, instead of giving them cash I have invited them to go grab something to eat with me.” says Maven1, one of the early adopters who donates on the service. “By talking with these people and hearing their stories, I’ve learned the world of the homeless can be very different than what I imagined. One man showed me a wallet with pictures of his wife and child. He told me about drug addiction on the streets of Chicago. Another man was recovering from a prescription drug addiction that had turned to Heroin. He was articulate, and told me how he deactivated his phone to disconnect from his old friends because of their bad influence. Each day he tried to get about $40-45 by doing odd jobs or asking for money. He stopped asking if he ever got to $45 in a day, because he didn’t want extra cash tempting him to go back to his addiction. When I donate on NameTBD I feel secure that the money goes to people who are truly in need and is used for basic needs like food and shelter. I try to check it everyday. If someone looks hungry, I try to help. No one should have to go hungry.”

The app shows statistics on those in need such as how long they have been “hungry” or “homeless”, which helps users know how long it may have been since that person has had a meal or slept in a real bed. These statistics help the community self-manage prioritization of donations and in a way inspire those receiving donations on the app to make progress on their goal toward self-reliance. “Everyone loves a comeback story.” said one user, “when you see someone making progress and getting closer to getting back on their feet, it’s really fun to help them and see the difference it makes.”

“We are really happy about how far we’ve come,” said CEO, adding, “People who were once receivers on the app have become givers. How cool is that!”

Of course there are still a lot of hurdles to overcome including fraud prevention and scalability. NameTBD has an aggressive roadmap that includes a simple wearable that can be provided to those who cannot afford or access the service through a mobile app or on the web. Governments are interested in funding these wearables as an effective way to involve their local communities in helping more people in need, and the data collected by NameTBD helps government agencies find new insights to improve assistance outcomes. NameTBD is also focused on fraud prevention, user safety and security, and a long-term goal is to provide training and services to help more people make the transition from homeless in and need to self-reliant and giving back. 

It’s an aggressive plan, but the future looks bright for NameTBD and for all those in receiving help through its service.