Medical crowdfunding in India

Medical crowdfunding in India

I recently read an article in The Hindu titled ‘How the magic of medical crowdfunding works’. This term(crowdfunding) is not new for me. I have read about many of these types of projects, like supporting someone’s venture, for celebrities, blockchain Ethereum etc. You can have a look at the list of highest funded crowdfunding projects here. 

However, in India which is populated with the most number of beggars(read needy) we become hesitant in rendering even a rupee. And here we are talking about funding the whole project. 

One thing to consider is that these campaigns are mostly run in big cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai because people(high earning individuals) their have surplus money which they can(if they wish) use for charity. 

My interaction with medical crowdfunding is usually on the internet(like many others). I previously saw few ads of a company called Ketto on different websites. Template is more or less the same in all their ads. A kid with a bleak smile, seriously ill and message above that picture. That message usually describes his illness and urgency of fund in a line or two.

I come across these ads frequently as they come on my most visited websites. Perhaps, they are tailored based on my interests and preferences.  Also, I am aware of the scams that happen online and offline. where people/companies often target the ‘good’ in human beings by showing them pitiable pictures and extract money in return.

Anyways, I read the article and it elaborated more on the condition of medical crowdfunding in India

Previous cases

If un-initiated, one may think that crowdfunding online is only limited to imminent or life-saving causes. But that is not the case. Usually, aspiring entrepreneur go online to pitch about their idea and gather some support. However, in recent times, different causes are getting sponsored by people ,be it, getting a couch for Elon Musk, making Kylie ‘a self made billionaire’ or many other not-so-urgent cases. Although, internet is full of many such success stories. A recent one which caught my attention was a picture of a boy who was standing next to his father’s dead body. This picture was tweeted by a journalist with a heart-wrenching message, stating his plight. The project got very popular. It gathered more than Rs.5.2 million and the boy and his family destiny took a complete U-turn. Well that's the power of social media. It can make anybody a star, overnight.

Crowdfunding platforms

Medical crowdfunding in India is mostly handled by three platforms Impactguru, Milaap and Ketto. They have collaboration with numerous private hospitals which makes it easy for needy to find financial help. Milaap in 2018 raised ₹124.65 crore for medical expenses which could cover the cost of 830 liver transplants or 12,465 days of ICU(at Rs 1 lakh a day). Being a trustworthy platform, entire amount was used for treatment of the people who needed it. Ketto, founded in 2012 raised Rs.97 crore in 2018 and Impact Guru Rs.50 crore in the same year. Together, they raised ₹271.65 crore in that year. This figure is significantly higher than last year’s funding. And we can only expect it to break its previous records.

Designing an effective campaign

While going through several campaigns, it struck me that some were highly successful while others could not even garner 10% of the required funding. 

Project like make Kylie a billionaire with a message like this . 

I don’t want to live in a world where Kylie Jenner doesn’t have a billion dollars. ‘WE MUST RAISE 100 MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP HER GET TO A BILLION, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD, THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.’ 

is getting so much attention and money from people. But where the issue is of life and death, people are barely donating anything. I agree most of them are skeptical due to the ongoing scams in the world but funding an already multi-millionaire is a screaming scam.

So lets analyse what makes some campaigns more successful than others

Message is everything

If you see message in a highly funded campaign. It is crisp. People can relate to it and empathise. The more, reader relate to your pitch better the chances that he will donate. The above incident was in the capital of the country and tweeted by a journalist. People empathised because rights and working conditions of manual scavenger was talk of the town. Besides someone with a heart would feel that the person died serving the world. Even after this, if his family doesn't have the money to cremate, that makes it truly a sad story to hear. More than that, it's a kid in the picture which is further very disturbing. That’s why, the message should be short and effective. 

Picture is everything

While campaigning for Kylie jenner any photo of her can work but when it comes to medical crowdfunding, a pic which shows the innocence of the subject, apparently, gets more support. 

These quiet and calm images are the most effective to relate. According to Borra “There is no justification for shooting people at their most helpless, except the money it may raise for their treatment. Otherwise, it is exploitation.” So, the project picture should be one which not only catch the attention but also make the viewer to relate himself.

Audience is everything

Most of the people taking part in these campaigns are tech-savvy. Other than that, they have surplus amount to spare for charity. Demographic ranges in between 20 to 50 years of age mostly, comprising both men and women. Where old people may not have heard about crowdfunding much, the Gen Y knows all about it and the effectiveness of social media. Hence, one should keep them in mind while designing a campaign.

Reach is everything

While ketto and other platforms are doing a great job spreading the word by means of ads and social media platforms. Avenues like NGO’s, hospitals can also become an aid in spreading awareness about the needy. A person needing such help should contact them as quickly as possible.

Apart from all these factors, there is no certain way to make any project sooper-dooper. With numerous success stories there are also projects which could not gather the required amount. 

There is nothing greater than life, hence it is the duty of the government and people,individually, to keep themselves protected from these illnesses and if, unfortunately, they do happen then no one should die due to the shortage of funds.