ChipIn Discontinues Service

[Allison Leahy]

This news will only affect existing ChipIn customers. 

ChipIn.com, which started in 2005 as one of the first easy way for individuals to raise money collectively, has merged with InMobi and will be discontinuing its services beginning on March 7th, 2013. If you have an existing account, you will still be able to log in, copy and export data, accept contributions and otherwise manage ChipIn until that time. For additional information, read the announcement on ChipIn.com.

If you are a ChipIn customer, have no fear, you can still collect funds from your members using PayPal's donate button. 

If you know of any other good microfunding ideas or services, please share them with us in the comments below.  

[Lucas Souza Publicidade]

Moip pagamentos ou pag seguro

[Allison Leahy]

Thanks for the tip, Lucas! 

MoiP has a pretty hefty startup cost ($1000), but the software does support secure micro-payments. 

[Elshara Silverheart]

Is that the service that allows originally the donation button to be displayed as a ning app via paypal or is that something else? Not that I use it but am just curious.

[Allison Leahy]

ChipIn is a different service. We often tipped people off to the widget, but it was never available as a Ning App.

[David Buck]

https://givkwik.com/

I recently met the folks behind this since they were part of the Civic Accelerator program put on by Points of Light and Village Capital. Very nice people with a slant towards everyday philanthropy. Here's what they say about themselves in their about page.

Givkwik is an easy and fun rewards platform for social good available on mobile, web and social media. Think of our giv button as a "like" button, but with social impact for your favorite causes and financial rewards for you. Givkwik seamlessly combines cause marketing withimpulse philanthropy to benefit consumers, nonprofits and corporate brands. Givkwik is a for-profit venture that believes in transparency and collaboration. Givkwik's mission is to become a trusted brand in financial services by making philanthropy more affordable, accessible and impulsive - so everyone can play.

[Allison Leahy]

Nice one, Dave. Could be a good solution for social change-oriented networks and nonprofits. I'd bet they have a pretty strict vetting process to be listed as a recipient though, and any giver would need to create a separate account on Givkwik. Still a very cool service that I hadn't heard of yet. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Peter Matthews]

I have recently tried using RocketHub.com crowdfunding site to raise funds for my NPO network. The system is very good, but there are limitations on my side - not being able to produce a professional video to promote my network, not having enough personal connections to give the campaign a good start.

I recommend others to have a look.

Cheers, Peter

[Allison Leahy]

Great find, Peter! And good points, too. The public expects to see a personal and professional promotional video. Making that video go viral--or at least get a few hundred views--is another key element to success. 

Is there a limit to how long a campaign can run on the platform? If a campaign is not fully funded, do you still receive partial funding?

[Janettee McCrary]

I like GoFundMe.

[Allison Leahy]

Nice, Janettee. GoFundMe even has relevant categories like Business and Community and unlike a few other crowdfunding platforms out there, it features the ability to receive donations after your goal is met and withdraw funds at any time. Love it. Thanks for the share. :)