Dutch start the 1% club as new way of development cooperation

Dutch start the 1% club as new way of development cooperation

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The idea is simple: if we all donate 1% of our income, time or knowledge, we can make world poverty history. This is the thought behind the 1% club, founded by Anna Chojnacka and Bart Lacroix from The Netherlands, both with backgrounds in development cooperation.

1percentclub

Bart Lacroix, painting a new home with orphan children

People can easily spare 1% of their income: it has a minimal impact on their spending pattern. But for poor people in developing countries 1% makes a world of difference. 1% is a guide: members who can’t spare 1% can give less money.

The 1% club focuses especially on young professionals. It’s a target group which is known for its pragmatic attitude: they want to know what happens with their money. For them transparency, small-scale development projects, involvement and the pleasure of giving are important considerations. The traditional development organizations don’t cater to these requirements, unlike the 1% club. Its website is a mixture of youtube, hyves, Google maps and blogs: the 1%members introduce themselves in an interactive way and explain why they support certain projects with their gifts or time.

Currently members can chose between 16 projects, ranging from a pilot plantation of jatropha bio-fuel in Tanzania to Cycling out of poverty, which enables Africans to apply for a subsidised bicycle which they can pay off in monthly instalments. They are all presented on their own page with project information, a weblog, etc. etc. Members are also encouraged to propose new projects.

Joost Zijlmans from Amsterdam, financial project controller at an architects firm, is supporting 4 projects, although it is not certain with how much money or time. A simple mouse click on one of these projects shows that it is supported by 15 different members, all known by name and most of them with a photograph and the URL of their website or blog.

P+ webtip: 1percentclub
P+ webtip: Website Bart Lacroix

A report by Han van der Wiel

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