Crowdfunding seems to have taken a new turn as public appeals to raise money for charitable causes are switching to pitches for donations online.
Two appeals for cash this week have raised thousands of pounds.
In just a few hours, a tragic image of Syrian refugees Abdul and his young daughter Reem, aged four, asleep on his shoulder on crowdfunding site Indiegogo tugged at the heart strings of more than 4,000 do-gooders.
In one day they raised £74,000 for the single dad and the girl, who escaped the civil war in Damascus.
The sad image depicted Abdul trying to make money by selling a handful of biros on the street
In Beirut, Lebanon, while carrying his daughter asleep on his shoulder.
Abdul, a single father, also has a son Abdelilah, aged nine.
The family left Syria with his wife, who left them and returned to her home.
With 13 days left to go, the target of raising £3,250 was shattered by 2,200%, reaching the goal within 30 minutes.
Gissur Simonarson, who says he is a political activist, posted the campaign.
“I am working with UNICEF to get Abdul and Reem to safety,” he said. “Theirs is one of thousands of tragic stories to come out of in Syria.
“We are considering putting the money in a trust or special account that will pay out a monthly sum to Abdul rather than give him a lump sum that could make him a target for others and overwhelm his life.”
Pregnant artist controversy
In the second appeal, controversial former Dresden Dolls singer Amanda Palmer has been accused of setting up a crowdfunding appeal to pay for her baby.
She made a pitch on crowdfunding site Patreon for donors to pay her £22,000 each time she released an art work.
Soon after, she revealed she was pregnant and some donors have accused her of making the pitch for personal gain rather than in return for her creative activity.
“The money I need to live in is indistinguishable from the money I am paid from my art,” said Palmer.
“It does not matter what my lifestyle choices are as long as I deliver my side of the agreement to the people who are putting up the money.”
So far, almost 6,000 people have donated to her cause.
