By the numbers: The world comes to Greece’s rescue through crowdfunding for the price of a feta salad

July 7, 2015 in News by RBN Staff

“As Thom Feeney explains on the campaign page, if every EU resident donates just €3 – or the price of a pint of ale – Greece can pay back its debt. It’s still €1.6 billion euros, but when it’s broken down on a human scale it doesn’t seem so impossible.”

Source: Indiegogo
July 1, 2015 ·

Update: The Indiegogo campaign to bail out Greece has closed and Thom Feeney has opened a new one for a nonprofit to help more young adults get jobs within Greece–a country that currently has a 25% unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds. Visit the live campaign here.

The debt crisis in Greece has been all over the news this week, filled with criticism for the mismanagement of its finances and polarized opinions of what to do next. Through it all, the plight of 11.3 million people who have been suffering through IMF-imposed austerity measures has been reduced to a single lump sum and some pretty grim options.

As is so often is the case in politics, the people affected by the crisis have become an afterthought. Thom Feeney, a UK marketer was tired of watching politicians debate their way to an agreement, so he started an Indiegogo campaign to rally the international community for help. Since the campaign launched just three days ago, the support has been incredible and humbling. Over 72,000 backers – the most in Indiegogo history – from 167 countries and territories have contributed almost €1.3M – see the infographic below for more details. And based on politics, you would never guess who the second most common contributors are: Germans.

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This is why Indiegogo was created. Because our platform is open, we make it possible for anyone anywhere to make a difference, cutting through the political rhetoric and bureaucracy of gatekeepers like the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. People from all over the world are helping out in the spirit of fixing what financial institutions have yet to remedy.

As Thom Feeney explains on the campaign page, if every EU resident donates just €3 – or the price of a pint of ale – Greece can pay back its debt. It’s still €1.6 billion euros, but when it’s broken down on a human scale it doesn’t seem so impossible. We don’t know if the campaign will meet its goal, but as is often the case in crowdfunding, the message is just as important as funds raised, and the people of Greece have heard it. An early comment on the campaign page said it best:

Every time I feel scared about what’s about to come, or saddened by callous and cruel comments I read elsewhere online, I can come here to restore my faith in human empathy, kindness, and generosity of spirit. Without exaggeration, it brings tears to my eyes. Thank you, from Greece.

Inspired? Start your own campaign now.

Update: The Indiegogo campaign to bail out Greece has closed and Thom Feeney has opened a new one for a nonprofit to help more young adults get jobs within Greece–a country that currently has a 25% unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds. Visit the live campaign here.