See also: “Why you shouldn’t let ‘donation matching’ affect your giving” at GiveWell. (<a href="http://blog.givewell.org/2011/12/15/why-you-shouldnt-let-donation-matching-affect-your-giving/" rel="nofollow">http://blog.givewell.org/2011/12/15/why-you-shouldnt-let-don...</a>)
It's awesome when platforms can increase the effectiveness of our donations like this.<p>By the way, if anyone is looking to support teachers through small donations, DonorsChoose (<a href="https://www.donorschoose.org" rel="nofollow">https://www.donorschoose.org</a>) does matching opportunities like this regularly. They fund classroom projects, not health issues, but I think the satisfaction and rationale for supporting are similar. The most recent match was backed by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
I love the idea of Watsi. I do wish they would, tastefully of course, take a page from CharityWater's playbook and highlight better the impact your money creates. Also is it like charity water in which my donation goes to the cause 100%? or are the funds going to support watsi ops? (I'm ok with either, but would prefer transparency this day in age).
The donate a birthday Idea could be pushed further. I've given up my birthday a bunch on charity water, raised thousands that way. I'd like to see "I'm giving up my birthday so we can get Maria in honduras a new kidney" or something along those lines.<p>anyway sorry for the rant.
I LOVE Watsi - 100% of my donation goes directly to help people.<p>Is this only for new donors? I am already a universal fund donor, but may consider making a new account for my 'friend' to get the match donation.
No emotion on the home page. Would be nice to immediately see a real person that could be helped. Not sally struthers style melodrama but some connection. Some example of the good that will happen.
What if they have a 90% administration fee... all that matching could go right back into the charity. This would effectively make it 0% matching.<p>Also, the matching could be prorated over the next 100 years. This company has only been around for 3 years and doesn't have a profile on Charity Navigator yet. I will give it some more time.