Stories From Smaller Nonprofits: Lendego
12/18/2009
In the
spirit of the season, to give back, Diva Marketing is showcasing the stories of smaller nonprofits throughout December. It's my wish that together we can help raise their
visibility, perhaps find a new volunteer or even encourage a donation or two.
Because as Laura King Edwards
Story is told by the founder Dennis
Hodges who explains how he came up with his unique concept where people can directly help others. As Dennis learned some times fate steps in and changes your dream for the better.
Lendego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization based in
- Powered by givers, Lendego positively impacts the lives of real people with real needs. With Lendego’s peer to peer giving platform, funds can be directed to specific individuals, families, groups or organizations in need.
I came up with the idea for Lendego,
a nonprofit peer-to-peer lending organization, where individuals hoping to
start a business could post their ideas and stories. Those interested could
lend money to the individuals and then be repaid at a later date. Hence, the
name Lendego. I created my business model, built the website and was ready to
launch Lendego when the 2009 flood happened in
Watching the floods and hearing about all the victims so close to home had a very profound impact on me. The incident made me think about all of the individuals who were affected by the tragedies of life on a daily basis and how it was often extremely difficult, if not impossible for those individuals to receive financial help in their time of need.
In October of 2009, I converted my
online lending platform to an online giving platform and Lendego, a nonprofit
dedicated to peer-to-peer giving was born. Individuals or families struggling
with difficult circumstances can contact Lendego for assistance. Recipients can
post a need themselves or be submitted by a “sponsor” -- family members, a
friend, church, employer or another nonprofit that is working to help meet the
individual's need.
After the need is verified by Lendego staff, their story is
posted at Lendego;
where givers can browse all the needs and select those for which they wish to
help. Givers can give the amount they choose to each recipient. Once the need
is met, Lendego disburses the funds directly to the family or individual in
need.
Social Media Strategy
Lendego’s grass roots campaign is conducted via Facebook, Twitter and traditional public relations. Right now the organization is working on the Faces of Lendego, each month a different story will be told to the public making them the Face of Lendego. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness of Lendego and to change the attitudes and perceptions behind peer-to-peer giving.
More About Lendego
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