Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is another new crowdfunding organization that is rapidly changing the
nature of philanthropy. The company was formed in San Diego, California, in May
2010 by Brad Damphousee and Andrew Ballister; it is still a private company. The
original name was CreateAFund, but like so many software startups, the name was
changed. GoFundMe has become one of the largest U.S. crowdfunding sites and it
also has some unique features and services.
GoFundMe supports ordinary charitable and nonprofit groups, but it also al-
lows special fund-raising requests for private individuals and personal needs, such
as needing money for a surgical procedure or needing money for buying new
clothes after a major fire destroys a house. There is even a section for students who
need funding to cover tuition costs. GoFundMe users can create their own linked
sites that explain their needs and why they are asking for funds. Photographs and
other information can be displayed. GoFundMe generates its own revenues by tak-
ing 5% of each donation to cover the logistical costs of keeping the site operation-
al.
A few samples of interesting funds that were collected include getting almost
$75,000 for three little girls diagnosed with the medical condition of mucopolysac-
charidosis, which is a serious metabolic disorder. Another case was a request for
$2,500 to send a terminal cancer patient on a short vacation, which raised almost
$30,000. A third case was a request for $1,000 to support a wheelchair basketball
program for children, which eventually raised about $27,000.
Crowdfunding is a recent innovation but one that is transforming charitable
donations for the better by using the power of the web to provide information
about worthy needs to potentially millions of web users throughout the world.
Namcook Analytics LLC
Namcook Analytics is one of the more recent companies cited in this topic, having
been incorporated in August 2012 in Delaware. Namcook does business in Nar-
ragansett, Rhode Island, and Hingham, Massachusetts. Namcook clients are glob-
ally based.
In the interest of disclosure, this company was cofounded by me and my busi-
ness partner, Ted Maroney. I researched and filed several patents earlier in 2011
prior to formal incorporation. Namcook Analytics is a private corporation.
As the name implies, Namcook Analytics LLC is in the business sector of pre-
dictive analytics, with a special emphasis on predicting the results of software pro-
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