Crowdfunding platforms to the rescue for vulnerable populace during Covid-19

MUMBAI: Online crowdfunding platforms have emerged as a source of financial support for people in need in the wake of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To be sure, online funding campaigns have been helping stranded migrants and daily wage labourers get access to essentials and community kitchens, but now the crowdfunding platforms are coming to the aid of transgender communities, circus artistes, Uber drivers, Swiggy delivery personnel, rural artisans, dancers and freelance workers.

The mobilisation of funds across these platforms is helping such vulnerable people.

The campaigns span across necessities like food, medical needs, shelter and also income protection insurance in case the people get infected by the virus.

Funds worth over Rs 100 crore have been facilitated across platforms.

Typically, online crowdfunding campaigns carry a fee for fund raising and are goal dependent.

However, due to the ongoing lockdown now extended to May 3, the platforms are waiving this requirement and disbursing funds within the given time period.

The preliminary theme of fund raising has been for food, followed by funds for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, said Mayukh Choudhury, co-founder and CEO of Milaap, a crowdfunding platform.

“The third one is fundraising for specifically vulnerable segments of people (like transgender persons). People are aware that the problem is bigger, but the thinking is that they may be able to make an impact in their capacity to a particular section, for a specific cause,” Choudhury said.

A campaign on another crowdfunding platform, Ketto, by the National Non-Binary, Intersex and Transgender Forum (NNITF) and another NGO, Nestam Vizag, has identified trans-persons unable to support themselves during the lockdown across Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Mysore and Madurai.

“Most of the trans-persons who reached out to us belong to the low-income category and depend on jobs in the informal sector or sex work. Distribution is mostly focused on the people who are daily wage labourers, individuals who came out of their homes or live with other transgender women/men,” according to campaigner and founder of NNITF, Harsha Hayathi.

When Rambo Circus, a group replete with animal acts, child acrobats and gymnasts which tours across the country, was stranded in Mumbai in early March, crowdfunding became a first responder to the artistes.

Sujith Dilip, the owner and manager of the circus group, decided to crowdfund a corpus to create kits of essential items like dry ration, water, and personal care for artists for three months. The fund will also help address health-related issues, injuries and basic sanitization.

“Our artists and support staff have been out of work ever since and it has become almost impossible for them to feed themselves and their families,” said Dilip in his campaign. The campaign has reached 40% of its fundraising goal so far including contributions from celebrities.

Consumer-facing startups are also using platforms to raise funds for income protection insurance, among other basic needs, for their frontline workers. The insurance funds are intended to ensure up to 14 days of income for delivery personnel who contract the virus while at work.

Zaheer Adenwala, the co-founder and CTO at Ketto, said that the company’s partners have started campaigns serving different sections of the disadvantaged urban and rural populace.

The company has raised over Rs 15 crore for causes related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“If the company were to charge commissions, it would have raked over Rs 75 lakh, but in effect it is the donation that Ketto is making by waiving off commission,” he said.

Milaap, for instance, hosts campaigns to support Swiggy and Dunzo delivery personnel and Uber drivers. They cover medical expenses of those personnel and their families who are currently not covered by existing insurance policies.

Swiggy has aimed at a Rs 10 crore corpus for the fund, of which over Rs 4 crore has been raised with contributions from Swiggy founders and employees.

Another crowdfunding platfrom, ImpactGuru also hosts campaigns created by companies like Grofers and Bigbasket intended to provide meals to the eldery and daily wagers. The funds will help feed people in New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad among other cities.

Choudhury of Milaap believes that the next phase of funding will go towards supporting small and medium businesses as a stimulus to restart businesses, following the end of the lockdown.