The Five Campaign

Can 5 dollars and 5 friends change the world?

A big part of the success of micro-lending has been attributed to its ability to create social capital. When low income entrepreneurs are placed into "lending groups", they are forced to work together in order to ensure the successes of each other's businesses. Much like a hypothetical group of strangers stranded on a deserted island, borrowers in lending groups are faced with two options; they either a) pool their resources and skill-sets in order to thrive, or b) engage in individualistic and self-serving behaviors and implode.

For the poor, the path is clear, and time and time again group lending models have proven that persons in dire circumstances have no choice but to accept their interdependence. This is why so many persons from the developed world have life-changing experiences when they visit impoverished countries. Often, there is a palpable sense of community in impoverished areas that many of us in the Western world simply lack in our day-to-day lives. Our culture is geared towards independence, and the notion that as individuals, we are supposed to make something of ourselves. Unfortunately, the ethos of independence detracts from the very thing that makes us human, our being-with and reliance-on others.

I'm introducing what I have dubbed "The Five Campaign", which is as much of a social experiment as it is a means to raise funds for the DHF micro-lending program. KIVA has shown us the power in "peer-to-peer lending", connecting affluent communities with entrepreneurs from the developing world. "The Five Campaign" takes this model a step further, asking individuals to donate $5, and perhaps more importantly, to share "The Five Campaign" with 5 friends, who are then asked to do the same.

Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking; "This guy is just ripping off that Kevin Spacey movie called Pay It Forward", and essentially you're right. The only difference is that this isn't fiction. When your $5 and your 5 friends' $5 multiply into $500 or $1,000, you will have successfully leveraged social capital in order to provide a low income entrepreneur with access to credit for her/his small business. Your $5 and your 5 friends just became part of a movement that provides much needed resources to low income families and (for you fiscally conservative folks) increased tax revenue through the introduction of new businesses into a struggling economy.

Of course, "The Five Campaign" is only as powerful as your ability to convince your friends to participate. I'm trying to share this idea with friends and family, but where it will go from there is beyond me...

$5 is probably less than your lunch will cost today, and it's a small price to test out the viability of an explosive idea. Will people buy into this project, and prove that community remains a prevalent part of our culture, or will this be treated like just another chain-letter, not worth a second glance.

If you're as intrigued as me by this idea of leveraging social capital, then click here and join the Five Campaign by making a $5 contribution. Make sure to select "micro-lending" under the "Donation Type" drop down menu.

Check back in on the blog for updates on the campaign.

Cheers!