Not fame, but 15 minutes of talking to the famous

Thanks to the Internet, groups that raise money for important causes have a much easier time reaching supporters. All that’s needed is a website, a good pitch, and a Paypal or credit card link that will allow viewers of the site to donate money.

That is, if they can get the attention of supporters. The Internet that gives power to small, bootstrap charity groups to reach out to donors weakens them as well. With tens of thousands of groups using the same route to raise money, it’s harder than ever for nonprofits to stand out.

Organizations that want to be heard can turn to Wizeo, the world’s first “crowdfunding for a cause” platform, said Guy Bauman, co-founder and CEO of the company. “We help nonprofits and causes to raise money by providing a platform that lets them connect to their audience using video chats with well-known personalities. Donors to the cause are enrolled in a digital lottery that gives the winner the opportunity to have a private conversation with executives, politicians, authors, and others who are known and respected in the culture.”

Any group that raises money for a cause and is vetted as legitimate by Wizeo (which checks with legal authorities, organization reputation databases, etc.) can open up a “chat contest” using Wizeo. Via links on their own site, email, etc., they spread the word, selling digital “lottery tickets” (minimum donation one dollar) that lets them receive small donations from supporters. Those donors are enrolled in a lottery which can net them private “face time” with important personages.

Thus, donors to Aleh, an Israeli organization that runs a network of residential facilities for children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities, are enrolled in a lottery to have a private conversation with former prime minister Ehud Olmert. The winner will have 15 minutes to ask him anything (the Wizeo site does not appear to limit the subject matter, so presumably the winner could ask Olmert about his recent legal difficulties). Olmert donated his time to help finance the cost of a “mobility hoist” for a new Aleh residential unit, which will allow easier transport of residents in the facility.

In another Wizeo campaign, everyone wins in a fundraising event for Educating for Excellence, an Israeli group that provides after-school enrichment for over 2,000 kids in peripheral towns in Israel’s north and south. Professor Dan Ariely, a Duke University professor of psychology and behavioral economics and author of the best-selling books “Predictably Irrational,” “The Upside of Irrationality,” and “The Honest Truth about Dishonesty,” will give a half hour of his time to hold a group chat that all donors to the cause can participate in.

The benefit for nonprofits in the form of increased donations is clear, but Wizeo has something to offer both donors and the celebrities recruited by nonprofits as well. “Our platform lets donors get access to people they admire, people they follow on social media, whom they otherwise would not have an opportunity to connect to,” said Bauman. “For those giving their time, this is an easy way to support causes they are committed to. With their 15-minute commitment, they can help groups raise much more money than they would otherwise be able to, via the crowd-funded micro-donations contributed by donors.”

Wizeo was established last year and is headquartered in Raanana and Boston — a result of its being chosen as a finalist in the MassChallenge contest earlier this year. MassChallenge is the world’s largest start-up accelerator and contest, awarding an annual $1.1 million in cash and $4 million in support services (including free office space) to the 125 start-ups chosen for the three month program. The site is currently in beta; its first chats, with Olmert and Ariely, are set to take place in the fourth week of November, and the platform is expected to be fully finished in early 2014, said Bauman.

“There are two aspects to Wizeo – the video component, where we conduct the chats using our platform, and the micro-donation crowd-funding donation aspect,” said Bauman. “Micro-donations are where the action is today for non-profits, because it’s much harder to raise large sums of money from single donors. Using our platform, they have a much better opportunity to fund projects, while raising their profile among donors by giving them the opportunity to connect with celebrities they admire. It’s a new market, and we intend on leading it.”