- Crowdsourcing platform NeedsList announced it secured $1 million in funding to help humanitarian organizations receive aid
NeedsList, a crowdsourcing platform for nonprofit humanitarian organizations that are in need of aid for building resilient communities, food security, and emergency support, announced it closed $1 million in funding. Amplio Ventures, Marigold Capital, Omidyar Network, Next Wave Impact, Silicon Valley Social Ventures, and the Kuo Sharper Fund participated in this round of funding.
So far, NeedsList has invested over $1 million in local communities across more than 150 trusted charities. And nearly 105,000 needs were met. Some of the current campaigns include supporting employability skills training for refugees in Malaysia (organization: MAD Projects) funding adult sneakers for refugees arriving in Lesvos in Greece (Lighthouse Relief), and volunteering to teach English to refugee newcomers for The Syrian Canadian Foundation.
“NeedsList has the potential to be a game-changer in the field of humanitarian aid,” said The Omidyar Network’s Director of Investments Scott Wu.
NeedsList accepts donations from anyone. And the platform also works with relief organizations and corporate partners.
“We have received so many donations from NeedsList this holiday season. The donations of tents, sleeping bags, handwarmers, and coats were much appreciated here in Paris, as the temperatures continue to stay below freezing,” explained Diana Holman of Compassion Without Borders.
Plus NeedsList also works with private companies such as TripAdvisor and WeWork for building charity campaigns. These types of programs have been known to help fuel employee team building exercises.
“NeedsList provides an innovative opportunity to connect our people to a custom list of remote volunteer opportunities that employees can participate in right from their computer screens to meet the urgent needs of refugees,” added TripAdvisor’s director of philanthropy and inclusion Tali Golan.
With this round of funding, NeedsList will be ramping up its tech stack. NeedsList was founded by CEO Natasha Freidus and COO Amanda Levinson.
