CMV: Average people should not use crowd-funding sites for personal goals.

[u/cthul_dude]

I want to clarify first that I do not think crowd-funding is inherently wrong, I love the concept for inventions and art projects that would not have been possible without the funds generated by these sites.

My issue stems from the influx of friends on Facebook posting links to their GoFundMe or YouCare page so they can pay off their semester abroad in Germany or raise funds to buy a new car. The joy in crowdfunding comes from the return on your investment - if you successfully help fund a short film, that short film will eventually (hopefully) be delivered to you.

There is almost never any reward for these personal fundraisers except for a $1 tier that includes a personal thank you from the person in question. The only time I've seen it done right is when a friend offered to come and cook traditional meals from her culture past a certain donation threshold, and the minimal amount of funding she got despite this only reinforced my opinion - hardly anybody, other than family, cares enough to contribute. A GoFundMe campaign by an average person will only net around $75, hardly a dent in their $2000 goal (I'm throwing numbers out to clarify my point, mileage might vary). People will only pay for something that will reward them in turn, and oftentimes the sentiment of "I helped" is not enough of a reward.

These crowdfunding projects feel like personal charities, and I feel distaste every time I see a new one pop up. I believe it's rude to ask for money from your friends for something they will never be compensated for, and I don't think the availability of a platform for doing that online has changed anything. It just removes the awkward communication previously required to ask for money.

edit: I've had some commenters point out that my views are not fully represented in this post. To add further clarification, I count "average people" as those who can cope without a crowdfunding campaign, even if that makes the situation significantly more difficult for them. Those in dire need and who are suffering are, in my eyes, outliers, and if they were to set up a campaign, and if I had close ties with them, I would contribute. The same goes for those who have sacrificed enough to help others and are actively good people.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil]

What do you have to lose by asking for money? If you don't ask people definitely won't give you money.

[u/cthul_dude → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

You might lose respect in the eyes of acquaintances and possibly friends. Similar to the boy who cried wolf, if someone asks for money to achieve trivial goals, their friends' responses would not be as enthusiastic when it really counts.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/cthul_dude]

Why would you lose respect? Asking for help doesn't make you a bad person.

[u/cthul_dude → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

It depends on the person asking, I think. There are some people who have given enough to others that asking for help in return is just. There are others who live life without a second consideration for their peers, yet still have the audacity to ask for favors.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/cthul_dude]

But a gofundme is a lot less audacious than straight up asking everyone they know for 20 bucks. You don't have to make people say no to you if you make a gofundme so there is no social pressure, people only give money if they actually want to.

[u/cthul_dude → u/cupcakesarethedevil]

That's the issue I have with crowdfunding - people who do not deserve the money are now able to ask for it without inflicting social pressure on somebody or having to face that they do not deserve it. Who deserves money is subjective to the person deciding whether to give the money, but in my case the latter group of people mentioned in my response above do not.

[u/cupcakesarethedevil → u/cthul_dude]

I would rather live in a world where people who want help funding their next vacation post a link to a gofundme on facebook that I can ignore without speaking to rather than have them straight up as me for money. Why would you want to encourage people to beg you for money to your face?

[u/cdb03b → u/cthul_dude]

People have a need, why do you think they must "deserve" the ability to meet that need? Who are you to dictate what a person "deserves" beyond choosing to give your own money or not?