Every day, too many patients worldwide fall victim to medical problems that can be solved in a matter of a few hundred dollars; a few hundred dollars that they do not have. Donors can help by donating funds to hospitals and support agencies, but they can only hope their money is going straight to where it is needed. Often life-changing surgeries ranging from just a few hundred to a thousand dollars can get lost among the demand for funds to support a wide range of healthcare needs. Watsi tackles this problem head-on.
With a mission to make healthcare a reality for everyone, Watsi is changing lives, and you can, too. Here are six reasons why we support Watsi, and why you should join us:
#1: Watsi hosts crowdfunding of medical treatment for people in need around the world.
Watsi has made history as the first nonprofit to receive financial backing from Silicon Valley’s accelerator Y Combinator. Rather than relying on donations from indirect sources, patients know that money is sent directly to them. A limitless number of donors can fund one treatment, so even a few extra dollars donated translate to a direct impact on patients.
#2: 100% of the donations directly fund medical treatments.
Watsi pays for its operational costs from their funding and none from the donations. They even cover the credit card processing fees. They raise operational funds via accelerators like Y Combinator or angel investors. Think of Watsi as a two-sided market leveraging the internet’s ability to connect donors with needs, a market previously dominated by narrow channels. You can choose to “tip” Watsi for this support, but there is full transparency on where your donations go, with the option to donate 100% to patient care.
Please note, I am not suggesting that using portions of donor contributions for operational costs is bad. Most nonprofits incur considerable operational costs. Yet, the ability to direct 100% of funds patients makes Watsi enticing for many donors like me.
#3: For donors, Watsi enables a “transactional” approach to philanthropy.
Even a few dollars of the contribution goes towards a directed outcome. This can appeal to folks who prefer transactions outcomes over supporting broader initiatives such Against Malaria Foundation or Schistosomiasis Control Initiative. Donors can choose to contribute monthly and will get updates on where their donations are making an impact.
Additionally, because of Watsi’s directed approach, donors can choose to put their donations towards specific causes and treatments they are passionate about, such as heart surgery.
#4: Donors can connect with the people they help.
Because Watsi is run like a startup, as a donor, you have full access to each patient timeline and full access to the transparency report in terms of payments made to the medical providers that Watsi works with. The process of helping someone in need is the most direct it gets, and Watsi makes sure of it. You get an email regarding your initial donation, as well as notifications once they receive treatment with a link to the full story, like Somaly’s story below.
#5: This is not just an idea; it’s a success.
After its founding in 2011, Watsi has improved the lives of over 25,000 patients around the world. Here is another story of a little boy in Kenya who suffered from a serious infection.
#6: Watsi provides gift cards, so you can give the gift of giving.
The perfect gift for anyone, you can send a gift card to Watsi via email or mail. The recipient can then donate to any patient or patients they choose and will get updates after they receive care.
