Two Harvard students are making the most of Facebook's social networking in the area of donations. Albert Hwang and Eddie Lee created "For every 1000 ppl who join, we will donate $2 to North Korean Refugees". This group is dedicated to raising money for "Liberty in North Korea", an organization helping refugees reach safehouses in China. The creators are asking contributors to donate two dollars for every 1,000 people who join the Facebook group, and currently have raised $6,272.
The creators of this group have employed various techniques to get support and attention from their audience. Most effective are the pictures of starving children, and a link to a YouTube video depicting refugees’ vain attempts at crossing the North Korean border. Their goals of raising awareness and money are listed on the webpage, in English and Chinese.
Contributors’ names are also recorded on the page, as well as instructions on how to donate money and updates on their progess. On the page, a visitor will see several friendly invitations to join the group. It’s open to anyone, and takes just one click to donate for their cause.
Due to the warm, charitable approach to prospective members, the group has been successful in getting 44,443 people to join. Anyone can directly contact the creators, post information on the cause, or “share” the group with friends. The group continues to grow because of easy access, honesty and the vast capacity of Facebook.