Germany-based peer-to-peer giving website.
Founded: 2007
Status: Nonprofit
Processing Fee: None
Website: http://www.betterplace.org
In their words:
betterplace connects.
People, in need of support, meet others, who want to help. One to one. Direct. Worldwide.
You want to help and are looking for suitable projects to support?
On betterplace.org you find social projects from around the world or in your own neighbourhood. Projects you can directly support: by offering donations in money, kind, know-how, or time – as an individual or a company. On betterplace you can experience directly, in text and image, the concrete difference your contribution is making.
You want to initiate a project or are already engaged in one and need support?
Present yourself, the project and the people who benefit from it on betterplace.org – whether as an individual or an organisation. Specify what exactly you need. Find supporters. And report regularly on the project’s progress.
The Web of Trust
People who offer help should be able to trust. That’s why we have the “web of trust”. The “web of trust” surrounds each presented project and consists of different users who give an account of their experiences with the person responsible for the project and the project itself. Thus, over time, there develops a differentiated evaluation system for projects, which prevents fraud, increases project efficiency and enables supporters to choose projects according to their own criteria.
There are various ways for you to contribute to the “web of trust” of a specific project:
Experience the difference your donations can make:
Find the exact project you consider valuable. Support it with money, donations in kind or your time. This makes you a “Project Supporter”. Participate in the project process, write about your experiences with the person responsible for the project: create trust for other potential supporters.
Visit a project:
Visit a project on the ground! Observe what is happening and talk to the person responsible for the project. Afterwards you report on betterplace: write down your experiences, present your photos and videos. Because nothing is more trustworthy than a “Project Visitor”, who has looked at a project with his own eyes.
Vouch for a person or project:
You are convinced that the person responsible for a project is reliable? That makes you the perfect “Advocate”. On betterplace, advocates are people who vouch for a specific project on the basis of personal experiences, specific expertise or direct relations to the project. You explain why a project and your opinion are trustworthy.
Describe the work your organisation is doing:
Apart from individuals, there are also local and international aid organisations that present their projects on betterplace. On the platform we call them “Project Carriers”. Whether they are an Indian slum-dweller NGO or Oxfam – they deserve to be trusted because of their expertise and everyday experience in running a project.
Let people know that you are doing good:
In addition to individuals, companies can also support projects on betterplace. As a company who sponsors a project, fully or in parts, you are a “Project Sponsor”. Demonstrate your commitment to a project; amongst others by reporting continuously about your experiences with the people behind the project locally.
