Words by Smiley Team
Have you ever wanted to do something positive to help support climate action – but don't know where to donate, or what organisations to support? That's exactly why the donation platform Milkywire was set up.
Its founder, Nina Siemiatkowski, says she's never been one to do things by the book. When she left the business world to embark on a documentary project, following a pride of lions in Kenya, she was struck by the realities of the situation facing the planet: the world’s wild lion population had halved in numbers in the space of just 20 years, down to 20,000.
But when she began working with non-profit organisations, she realised they were run by passionate individuals who were limited in resources and faced many risks.
Fuelled by her frustration at the broken charity system, an idea emerged for a platform that would change the way we give back to the planet and the grassroots organisations who fight for it on our behalf.
(Read more about the founders of the environmental platform Eco-Spotlight.com)
Speaking to Smiley News, Nina says: “After talking with friends and family back home in Sweden, it was clear that there were an abundance of people wanting to support these causes, but not knowing where to start or whom to trust; there was a real sense of distance between organisations and the people who want to support.
“From this, I created Milkywire – a platform whose purpose is to bridge this gap between trusted and fully vetted charities, and individuals and businesses keen to make a difference.
To put it simply, Milkywire provides a solution to charitable donation, solving the problem of not knowing how your charity donations are really being spent.
“Using smart, digital solutions, we link users with fully audited, high-impact nonprofits working across the world to save the planet," says Nina.
(Read more about these New Years Resolutions to protect the planet)
Grassroots organisations often live ‘hand-to-mouth’ with limited financial predictability – and applying for funding takes time that could have been invested in the cause itself.
“We want to change the game by bringing together a dedicated community of monthly donors, resulting in more security and efficiency for those in the field," adds Nina.
"No donation is too small and every action counts. We want everyone to know that their efforts really matter. As humans we’re so powerful when we come together. It only takes a few hundred people to literally change the world.”
Firstly, you choose the area where you want to make an impact. That could be protecting wildlife, fighting climate change or saving our oceans for example.
Once you've clicked through, you're presented with a range of local, award-winning grassroots organisations that are working to eradicate issues related to that topic. You can click through on each one to see the impact they make.
Next, choose the amount you want to give, and get donating!
Find out more about Milkywire on its website – and take action to save our planet.
