ioby Double Your Impact: ioby Detroit Match Fund

ioby is support Detroiters make positive change in our community, and respond to COVID-19. We’re now doubling donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $4,000 for all crowdfunding projects on ioby in Detroit. For projects related to COVID-19, you can access up to $4,000 in matching funds! We’re also waiving our fiscal sponsorship fees and our $35 platform fee for all COVID-19 projects, to help get as much funding directly to project leaders.

All kinds of projects would be eligible for this opportunity, including community (not individual) collections for lost wages, campaigns to buy groceries and supplies for vulnerable neighbors, funding for new tech for organizations to better serve their communities from afar, and more.

You can find more information about this match here, more details about eligibility here, and of course feel free to be in touch with me if I can answer any of your questions.

Eligibility

How do I know if my idea is eligible for this match funding?

To access the ioby Detroit Match Fund, the project that you are fundraising for must:

• Be based within Detroit city limits, including Highland Park and Hamtramck.

• Provide an accessible, public benefit or service to the residents of any Detroit neighborhood(s) that helps that community manage the impacts of COVID-19.

• Be led by a resident, nonprofit, neighborhood group, school, or informal community committee in Detroit.

• Not be aimed at private profit for a specific individual, family, or business (for example, an individual’s medical expenses, or business start up costs).

• Be implemented within 2020. This funding is intended to fund urgent, immediate projects that are responding to current health and economic needs.

• Be led by a local nonprofit (including 501c3s, schools, government agencies, or places of worship), an individual/informal group with a local nonprofit fiscal sponsor to steward funds on their behalf, or an individual/informal group for which ioby is serving as fiscal sponsor.

Who is eligible to receive matching funds? Anyone working on a project that serves a thriving Detroit. Individual residents, informal groups of friends and neighbors, nonprofits, schools, community-based organizations, and community development corporations are all invited to submit their project ideas.

What if I have more than one eligible project idea? It’s best to pick one thing to crowdfund for at a time. If you’re trying to decide between several possible funding needs, keep in mind that crowdfunding works best for projects that are concrete and specific, where residents will be able to see the results or participate in the project they helped fund.

What kinds of projects are eligible? As long as your project fits the above criteria, you are eligible for crowdfunding with this match. Some examples of eligible projects include:

1. Supporting a local charitable institution (soup kitchen, food bank, senior center, hospital, etc) that is experiencing high demand.

2. Educating your community about COVID-19 through local media or online events.

3. Providing new online events or services that fight isolation, help neighbors connect, and lift spirits in your community.

4. Covering costs for new local initiatives that support vulnerable community members, such as:

a. Mileage for volunteers bringing supplies to vulnerable neighbors.

b. Childcare support, healthcare support, or food, first aid or educational supplies for community members in need.

5. Covering unexpected, COVID-19 related costs for your local nonprofit or community-based organization, such as:

a. Technology needed to continue your work virtually.

b.Expenses related to rescheduling events.

c. Mileage or taxi reimbursements for staff and volunteers avoiding public transit.

d. Additional supplies (masks, disposable gloves, cleaning supplies, etc) needed to provide services more safely.

INELIGIBLE

Because all donations on ioby are tax-deductible, we cannot support campaigns that benefit one specific individual, family, or business, such as:

1. Gap funding for your small business.

2. Covering a specific individual’s loss of income or medical expenses.

 


applicable to artists working in these mediums:

About ioby

Since we began our on-the-ground work in Detroit, ioby has supported over 150 resident-leaders as they plan, crowdfund, and build positive change in neighborhoods across the city. With a median donation of $50, these leaders have raised over $500,000 in small donations to make Detroit neighborhoods thriving and full of opportunity for all.