Mission:
To bring dignity and self-determination to both sides of the giving equation.

Background:
Founded in 2011, Benevolentis a crowdfunding site designed to help low-income individuals meet a one-time funding need and advance toward self-sufficiency and economic stability. Following a validation process by a nonprofit professional in the Benevolent network, an individual with a funding need posts a story and/or video about his/her challenge to the Benevolent Web site, where donors can contribute any amount toward the $700 maximum. Once that person's need is fully funded, Benevolent sends the funds in grant form to the nonprofit that validated the individual's need, and the nonprofit in turn pays for the individual's expense and then reports back to Benevolent.

Outstanding Web Features:
Visitors to the site can browse individuals' stories and videos by city (e.g., Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Diego) and/or category (education, employment, technology), as well as storiesof fully funded needs. Visitors to the site who choose to make a donation can also send a personal note to the recipient of their donation, keep abreast of the latest developments on the site through the Benevolent blog, and subscribe to the organization's mailing list, while individualswith a one-time funding need can learn how to have their request validated and posted on the site.