‘Crowdfunding’ Site Uses Donations to Lend a Helping Hand

Benevolent, a nonprofit “crowdfunding” platform established to help people overcome one-time economic obstacles, is expanding from its Chicago base to four other U.S. regions with a grant from the Knight Foundation and the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, the tech-news site VentureBeat reports.

Started in December 2011 by Megan Kashner, a clinical social worker, Benevolent solicits small donations to help people in need by sponsoring specific purchases or tasks, such as getting a car repaired, buying a radiator, or obtaining business training. The site works with local nonprofit groups to identify people who would benefit and make the money available to them.

Benevolent has raised more than $35,000, benefiting 70 people in the Chicago area, and will use the Knight and Fisher funds to expand into Detroit, Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Jose/Silicon Valley, according to VentureBeat.