United Way gives Winnipeggers chance to ‘crowdfund’ cause of choice

WINNIPEG – United Way of Winnipeg – a 50-year-old “crowdfunding” agency – has adopted a new take on giving to help raise funds for 18 projects at family resource centres.

The Make It Happen campaign, part of the charity’s 50th anniversary celebrations, is a crowdfunding project that asks Winnipeggers to help the resource centres meet specific needs with whatever donation they can afford.

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The resource centres are crowdfunding – a term used for online campaigns that ask for multiple small donations to raise funds for a specific project – for everything from furniture to washing machines to a ramp to allow accessibility for people with disabilities. A full list of the projects can be found on the United Way’s Winnipeg Wednesdays website. Clicking a project leads to more information and an option to make a donation using PayPal or a credit card.

The crowdfunding campaign kicked off Wednesday at the North End Women’s Resource Centre on Selkirk Avenue. The resource centre is seeking crowdfunding of $8,000 to replace 15-year-old worn, broken and stained furniture.

“We have a lot of women coming and going for programming and workshops, many of whom are escaping violence and abusive situations,” said Cynthia Drebot, executive director of the centre. “They come in seeking help and sit on couches that are 15 years old, which they sink into and literally can’t get out of.”

The crowdfunding campaign will continue for four weeks. Contributions to the various causes ranged from $10 to $125 as of Thursday morning.

The United Way of Winnipeg was launched in 1965 as a centralized fundraising organization for non-profit groups in the city.