Why These Needs?

Some of the needs on the Benevolent site don’t seem to conform to the over-a-hurdle type of need, like a tuxedo to enable someone to work as a banquet waiter or a sewing machine for a seamstress. Where do needs like beds, clothes, and school uniforms fit in?

Time after time, I’ve seen people forced to make decisions that impede their own progress towards greater sustainability because they need to meet basic needs of their households.

We know, for example, that Anne would have continued to purchase one cheap air mattress after another as they popped over and over, because that was all she could afford with her cash flow. Her goal, however, is to save up so that she and her son can get their own apartment. She was spending more on air mattresses over the course of a year than what it took to get her a bed through Benevolent. Staying with a friend while she gets back on her feet, now Anne is in a better position to reach for her goal and save the money to get her own place.

Facing basic need challenges while pursuing the next level of sustainability has the power to derail someone completely.

Monique is an interesting example of this potential. She is working and in college and asking for help with school uniforms and school supplies. The uniform is a good example of something that pops up in someone's life and can actually derail her. Monique bought her son a uniform for this school year in August, but by December he had outgrown it - something she didn't foresee or save up for.

I've seen mothers in this situation do one of several things…

• go to a payday loan store with catastrophic results
• borrow money from someone unscrupulous,
• get a second job and have to quit school,
• have sex or stay in a relationship for money,
• move into an unsafe or unhealthy place to save on rent.

These are things have happened in the lives of people I’ve worked with across a variety of settings. I’ve also seen (this was back in 1991) a mother who could afford only one school uniform for each of her children and so, like Anne buying air mattress after air mattress, this mom went to the laundromat every school night to wash her kids’ school uniforms.

Over time, of course, the things people do to meet basic needs or their skipping critical needs like vision-care can cost more than an up-front investment to meet the need would cost, but without taking one of the drastic steps above, how would the low-income adult get access to the liquid funds to pay the up-front cost?

That’s where we come in. That’s where we get to be a part of the story and to bring dignity and self-determination back into reach for those who invite us in.

Will our helping Monique with this unforeseen school uniform expense help keep her in college and on an upward path? We can’t know for sure. What we can know is that the person who knows her and validated her need has faith that Monique knows what she’s doing, what she needs help with, and how essential this help is to her ability to stay on her path. Our faith in Monique’s determination of her own most pressing needs might be the key to her continued success towards her goals.

- megan kashner, founder & ceo

Is it Like Micro-Finance?

I think it’s time to address head-on the oft-asked question:

“So is it like micro-finance?”

Well, readers, Benevolent is like microfinance in that:

1. Benevolent provides validation on each need just as each microfinance project is (or should be) subject to due diligence by someone on the ground in that community who knows and has vetted the recipient.
2. Multiple donors come together to meet each need on the Benevolent site just as some micro-finance providers allow for a crowd-funding model for investing in micro-finance enterprises.
3. The individuals whose needs are listed on the Benevolent site are each striving for the next level of sustainability and resources for themselves and their families just as those who seek investment in their small enterprise are seeking access to sustainable and increased income streams through microfinance support.
4. Those who financially support the needs posted on the Benevolent site can expect that their dollars will fuel progress and direct impact for those whose needs are met just as those who invest in microfinance can expect that their capital will fuel progress for those individuals and enterprises who receive microfinance loans.

The difference is, of course, that with Benevolent, investments are made to help people over hurdles and onto next steps and those investments are made as donations, not loans.

Why do we choose this approach? It’s values-based. Here’s a draft of a bit we plan to put up on the website to explain to anyone who’s interested why we choose a micro giving model for this platform…

We believe that Benevolent’s help to overcome hurdles should be grants, not loans:

• Needs funded through the Benevolent site are investments in people’s progress. Each of these low-income individuals has a long path ahead and we choose not to encumber them with additional debts as they strive for sustainability.
• Our needs are capped at $2,000 and average donations are under $200 each. These are small needs met by modest gifts.
• The return each Benevolent donor receives is to know who they helped and how their support made a direct difference.
• Each of us can recall when we received help - eyeglasses, a computer, tuition, a security deposit, pots and pans. Not all support necessitates a payout or payback.

Benevolent provides an avenue for people to seek the support they need without taking on the burden of debt at precarious junctures along their personal paths.

What do you think? Is this the platform you would have chosen?

- megan kashner, founder & ceo

New Year’s Resolution – Not a "Should" but a "Must"

The new year is approaching. I’ve vowed to work out three times a week. We’ll see how that goes. When we look at the people whose needs are posted on the Benevolent site, though, we get to see resolutions for the new year through a very different lens. As always, find these needs and help those seeking to meet them at www.benevolent.net.

The Benevolent members whose needs we see on the site this week are not talking about exercise, home improvement projects, or getting around to writing the great American novel. They have make-or-break goals for the coming year.

Al, who is seeking help in purchasing a tuxedo shirt, bowtie, vest and shoes so he can get a job with a banquet company, puts things very clearly as he explains that his housing subsidy will run out in February:

“I worked my way up from nothing. I gotta keep going.”

Alejandra, whose husband left her and their kids 6 months ago and whose need for a sewing machine was just met through Benevolent donors says:

“Now it is up to me and I must find work as soon as possible.”

Sierra, who has worked for the same shoe store for seven years and makes enough for rent and utilities, asks for help in the form of new clothes for her children. Here is Sierra’s larger goal:

“I would like us to be able to live comfortably without worries and stresses every week -- to have our basic needs met.”

It’s the “gotta,” and the “it is up to me” and the drive to meet basic needs like housing, income, and clothing that put these resolutions on a stage of their own. None of these individuals has the luxury of “should” this new year; each of them has a clear plan and path forward.

My real resolution is not about working out three times a week. That’s a “should” goal.

My “must” resolution is to meet the needs of the determined men and women who share their resolve, their drive, and their stories with us and who give us the opportunity to partner with them in reaching their goals.

I hope you’re in on that resolution with me, because it won’t work without you. We must have your help.

- megan kashner, founder & ceo

Transformers: The Gift-Giving Solution

This holiday season, here at Benevolent, we hope to set a new tradition together with all of you - that our holiday gifts will continue to give beyond the holiday season.

In the last weeks before the holidays, the focus is on gift-giving. There’s nothing wrong with that, but today I want to extend that focus to well beyond the holiday season. I want our gifts to have change-making power.

The new year inspires many of us to pursue goals and make positive changes in our lives. The individuals whose needs we’re seeing on the Benevolent site embody that desire to move forward and make change.

• Christina wants to go to school to be a Pharmacy Technician.

• Alejandra seeks an industrial sewing machine so that she can work at her trade.

• Luis needs eyeglasses so that he can study for his GED and continue his education.

These are just some of the needs we’ve got posted. Others reflect some basic medical needs that are critical and nearly impossible to access, like dental care. Unfulfilled, they can hold someone back from making any progress.

When I think about the new year, I’m overwhelmed to know that Christina has already received the support she asked for to get trained as a pharmacy technician and that Luis is well on his way to getting his eye exam and glasses. I’m hoping that Alejandra gets the support she needs to have the right sewing machine to start to work in her trade. If we can accomplish that in time for her celebration of Christmas, I’ll be overjoyed.

Gifts through the Benevolent site this season will have an impact far beyond this month. Your gift this holiday season will make you part of the solution.

Getting to transform someone’s life… that is our holiday gift.

- megan kashner, founder & ceo

It’s a Big Deal - Time to Shout it from the Rooftops

This past week marked the introduction of Benevolent’s new website at benevolent.net. Our new system, new look, and a batch of new member needs made their debut on Thursday, December 1st.

As an early adopter of the Benevolent model, you can make it a really big deal. We’re loading more new needs into the site this week, and the holidays are approaching. It’s time to shout it from the rooftops and spread the word. At the bottom of this blog are all the links you’ll need.

In the five days since we launched the Benevolent site at benevolent.net, I’ve been envisioning what will have changed in some lives when we’ve met the needs of these first Benevolent members. Here are a few highlights I’m looking forward to seeing…

When Tori’s need for a computer is met, her kids will be able to come home after school, sports practices, and after-school activities to have dinner, do their homework, and be together as a family rather than waiting in line at the library to use a computer for homework, unsupervised and without their mom’s help.

When Luis gets the money to have an eye exam and get glasses, he’ll be a better and safer taxi driver and will be able to read and study for his GED. Luis wants to improve his English, learn computer skills and get a better job – perhaps a job during the day rather than at night.

When Jose’s need for winter clothes and gear for his kids is met, he’ll be able to bundle his kids into winter clothes that fit, buckle and zip in all the right ways. Jose is raising his kids on his own since his wife left them several years ago. Making sure his kids have the clothes and gear they need is only one of his many concerns and responsibilities as he works for a food distribution company and struggles to make ends meet.

The people who’ve listed their needs on the Benevolent site are putting themselves out there. The nonprofit professionals who have stepped forward to help their clients get the help they’re seeking have also put themselves on the line. Our Benevolent donors have started putting themselves out there as well, stepping up to meet people’s needs.

Now we’re ready to ask you to get the word out. Please:

• Email your friends, family, and coworkers – tell them to check out www.benevolent.net
• Post a link to your facebook page –www.benevolent.net
• Share our facebook page www.facebook.com/benevolent.net
• Tweet about us - @benevolentnet

Spread the word in your own way.

- Megan Kashner, Founder & CEO

The Luxury of Choice - A Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just behind us, I have found myself reflecting this week on how thankful I am for the luxury of choice. I can choose to take a new path, choose so many things afforded to me by - among other things - my education.


There has been a great deal of focus in the past few years on the quality of our educational systems, the qualifications of our country's teachers, and the supports and structures necessary to create the optimal learning environment.

Less focus has been placed on what happens after our learners are out of high school, about the attainment of higher education and training, about adult returning learners, those who started college but never finished because life got in the way. We see many of these "some college" adults in the Benevolent community. They left their educational paths behind because of money, parenting, family illness, job changes, and more. Today, these “some college” adults are seeking employment, education, housing, and more.

When I think about choice, I start thinking about the members of the Benevolent community who are ready to commit to their choices, their aspirations, the pursuit of their goals. I think about the barriers that stand in their way as well as the opportunities that lie before them.

For those reading this post who have achieved their college degrees, have landed those professional positions, have attained the luxury of choice, I wonder if each of us can recall a moment (or several) along our paths at which we would have had to drop out or settle for less than reaching for our goals if it had not been for someone helping us past a hurdle.

In this week after Thanksgiving, I find myself thankful for the education I’ve had the fortune to receive and wish the same and more for our Benevolent community members.

- Megan Kashner, Founder & CEO

Courage and Determination We Can All Learn From

Tori has traveled a long way. On June 29, 2009, she left her abusive husband of thirteen years, took her children, and fled to a friend in Chicago. It took true courage for her to walk away without a safety net and without a clear path for herself and her seven young children. She found the courage because she knew she had to get herself and her children to safety.

I had the honor of meeting and getting to know Tori a few weeks ago, and found myself incredibly moved by her story, her poise, and her determination.

To hear Tori’s story in her own words, and to hear what the staff at The Cara Program (a nonprofit here in Chicago), have to say about her and the need she seeks support for, go to our website at www.benevolent.net and click on the link at the top that says “Tori.”

“My kids are some of the most amazing kids…”

In the 28 months since her leap to safety, Tori has journeyed through shelters, transitional housing, job readiness programs, and now to stability. She’s gotten herself and her children to a place of security. She’s working full time, she has an apartment, and the kids are in school and thriving – playing sports, excelling in academics, and bringing home As and Bs with every report card.

Tori has plans for her children – she expects each one to go to college and encourages them all to excel in everything they pursue. Sometimes, however, she has to say “no.” Whether it’s a field trip she can’t afford, the right equipment for football, or a volleyball tournament team trip, Tori has had to tell her children over and over again that they can’t afford things. There’s no money for extras.

She’s okay with that, but the one thing she is focusing on for the next steps forward is a computer for her family. Tori is determined that her kids will be educated, strong and independent. Right now, Tori’s kids have to go to the library after school or after their sports practices so that they can get online and complete the parts of their homework for which they need a computer. This means that the kids are away from her and outside the house more, that Tori can’t monitor them while they’re online, and that she can’t be there to motivate and help them while they’re doing homework on the computer.

For Tori, the inability to parent her kids in these instances is untenable. She takes pride in her children’s health, happiness, and success. Now, while she’s financially stable for the basics like rent, utilities, food and clothing, Tori is seeking our help in meeting her primary goal – being the best mom she can be to her kids.

We estimate that a computer with the necessary programs, a mouse, virus protection, etc, will be $705. Tori has researched internet access and found that she can get it for under $10 per month, and she can cover that on a regular basis.

Torti’s is an interesting need in that she is focusing on her children’s next steps, goals and plans. She is so clearly striving to achieve and succeed in the face of obstacles and barriers - I feel it will be an honor to help Tori to meet her need.

Here’s what we can do - if you want to help support Tori’s need, please go to the link on our website at www.benevolent.net that says “Donate Now.” There, you can click on a link to PayPal where you can submit a contribution. The PayPal page is truly not pretty, but it works.

As soon as we’ve received the total amount needed for Tori to buy a computer for her family, we’ll send the money along to The Cara Program -- the nonprofit that provides Tori with job training and personal support -- and they will get the funds to Tori for the computer. We’ll update her page on our website so that you know not to send any more contributions for her.

By supporting Tori’s need, you’ll be helping her get the computer for her family, and you’ll also be helping us here at Benevolent as we build our model. With every need that’s filled we’ll use about 3.5% to cover credit card and processing costs and 6.75% to cover our own costs here at Benevolent. We’ve already factored that into the amount we need to raise to meet this need.

Whether or not you decide to help Tori, we’re glad that you know her now, as we do. She’s a strong woman with a story of courage and determination, and I have all the belief in the world that she and her kids will go far and impress us all.

- Megan Kashner, Founder & CEO