Charity determines funding by votes on individuals’ circumstance

Who needs money more: A disabled veteran in need of mortgage assistance or a single mom just one bill away from self-reliance?

A website called modestneeds.org posts individuals’ particular circumstance in a forum that allows users to vote on whose charitable needs should be funded.

“As people give to Modest Needs we give them points that they can use to go in and basically vote as to which applications they’d like to see funded,” explains Keith Taylor, President and Executive Director of the Modest Needs Foundation.

Taylor tells 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ross and Burbank Show that the organization is meant to help those who are generally able to support themselves.

“We’re here to work with people who, under normal circumstances, can take care of themselves but have a short-term emergency that’s threatening their ability to remain self-sufficient.”

The organization, founded in 2002, was inspired by Taylor’s own experience.

“I understood from past experience how much these really small amounts of assistance coming at the right time can mean to a person. I had a situation one time in my life where I was in grad school and came very close to losing the apartment I was living in because I had to fix the timing belt on my car, and I couldn’t afford to do both things.”

Taylor says if someone hadn’t stepped in to help, he would have lost his apartment.

“If we stand by and do nothing and we allow that person to really enter the cycle of poverty,” says Taylor.

97.3 KIRO FM host Luke Burbank agrees that a small injection of cash at the right time can really be critical.

“As somebody who at times in my life have definitely had not nearly enough money to pay all my bills, I think you’re absolutely right. Sometimes it’s such a small amount of money,” says Burbank. “It’s these very small things that can have sort of a huge impact.”

For people to get assistance, Taylor says they have to first submit an application and some information to back up their claims. Once the claims have been investigated, their request is put to the public.

“Once enough donors have voted that we fund an application, we simply cut a check.”

But Taylor says the money doesn’t go to the individual.
“For example, if somebody’s asking for help with a car repair, that person who asked for the help is not going to get any money. What we’re going to do is contact the shop and have the car fixed, so that way we know exactly what the money did.”

Up for donors’ consideration now are a grandmother who needs modest help with an light bill, an injured mom with an autistic son, and a breast cancer survivor in need of mortgage help. View the full list at modestneeds.org.

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor