May 4, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
A British cancer charity is using a new approach to connect with donors by allowing them to fund its research projects based on their location.
MyProjects, a Web site run by the cancer charity Cancer Research UK, is designed as a way to give donors a chance to see exactly how their money is being invested.
The site uses a crowdsourcing technique, in which donors have the option of choosing from among 12 research projects that range from specific types of cancer to broader initiatives that work to provide health information to British citizens. Donors can also join or set up a giving group.
Richard Guerin, a recovering cancer patient, said in an interview with Wired UK that he has been able to raise about $17,000 through family and friends on MyProjects to fund the charity’s research on skin cancer. He said the Web site allowed him to personalize his messages through testimonies and photographs.
In addition, donors can connect with the charity’s team of scientists through a Facebook-style newsfeed on which they are able to leave comments about their experiences with cancer. This feature allows the charity to offer feedback as well as track donations. The average donation is about $150, the charity said.
“When you’re in a lab the whole time, in dark rooms looking down microscopes, it’s easy to lose touch with why you’re doing this,” Crispin Hiley, a doctor, told Wired UK. “It’s good to have a connection. It gives me a focus.”
