Why Should I Help Someone I Don’t Know?
I can’t answer that for you. For me, if I am helping a fellow human in need, next door or across the world, then that is good and justifies to me my life purpose and blessing of life given to me. It is not the fault of the person in need if they don’t live near me. In fact, isn’t that part of the problem – we don’t see or feel their need (maybe on TV), but it doesn’t affect us personally so we don’t feel the need to act. Whereas if your neighbor, family member, friend, community member is in need you might feel more inclined to act. Hey, if you are helping people in your circle of influence, blessings to you. Thank you and keep at it. We are simply creating a site where you can also help people who are not befitting from being in your immediate circle of influence where you can directly help them. $1 a month.
What If I Don’t Agree With The Monthly Project? Why Should I Help That (insert your favorite, often divisive self-identifier here, be it race, tribe, culture, religion, county, sex)?
“They hate me. They don’t believe the same things I do. They don’t act the way I do or validate me or my life choices.” Fair enough. That is a decision only you can make. We all have our own likes and dislikes and don’t want to support ‘them’. But search your heart and answer honestly why you would deny helping this person/group in need. Has this specific person/group actually done you or your family harm? How far do you go to deny someone aid? Nobody is perfect and there are even things about people we love that we don’t agree with or support. But to deny them help and aid?
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” – Matthew 7:3
And indeed, people may have wronged each other for millennia – personally, culturally, globally, locally, etc. But, would you deny a fellow human in need who has not personally and deliberately hurt you, or through no fault of their own they were born in a place and culture where they learned different things than you, or that their dead ancestors wronged your dead ancestors? Search your own heart and see what really matters if we are all to go together forward as a human race.
Where Does The Money Go?
99% of your giving will be directly given to the person/group identified. At times, there may be distribution fees subtracted from this (Transferring money, physical visit to person/group, etc.). But none goes to traditional overhead (groups, committees, facilities, operations, and processing fees. 1% will be compensation for the creator of IkeKala (up to $150,000/yr cap) Once the 1% is reached in any given year then 100% is given to the person/group identified or rolled over to the next month if a fixed amount was identified for the monthly person/group selected. If you think this is too much, then search for CEO and executive compensations for non-profit charities, NGO’s, and organizations where much of your money does not go the end people in need, then get back to me.
Selection of Monthly Project?
For now, the projects will be selected by Ikekala creator fairly subjectively – what happens in the news, what comes across the feeds, and media, etc. Who is in sudden and severe need right now? It could be anywhere and anyone in need and not limited to a specific country, philanthropic sector or subject area. It will be highly targeted and go towards that immediate need. EX: It will not go to an organizing like The American Cancer Society or some other large group, but would instead be given to a family(ies) whose home were wiped out by a hurricane and no other aid is available, or to directly build wells for clean water. The goal is to fund 1 project a month. Before that, as we build the site and attract more supporters, we will ‘go with the flow’ and see how long it takes to complete the cycle from project selection and vetting, promotion, giving, and finally, delivery of benefits. Tracking results will also be a part of this project. We will want to verify that the funds are being used correctly and that we are achieving the desired results. We will learn as we grow, yes? Right now, this is all being done by 1 person, the site owner.
Collection and Donation of Money
We will use established, secure, online sites for supporters to gift money. Lossless options are provided (you gift $1, Ikekala receives $1) as well as other ways where there is a platform fee (usually about $0.30 + 3% of the gift.) Your choice. I provided a way to eliminate the loss. For, legal tax purposes, any money given is a gift. Not tax-deductible. Tax codes are mostly written on how to legally reduce or avoid taxes, not evade taxes. So, gifts to me are non-taxable to me. Result? Much more money to be given by me to those in need.
Company Structure
For now, it is being operated as a legally filed d.b.a. Simple, low cost, insanely flexible to give anywhere, anytime. Perhaps forming a LLC will happen in the future if the absolute need arises. Again, that would involve costs and additional paperwork and people, and add to the mission stuff that doesn’t focus on what? That’s right, GIVING TO PEOPLE IN NEED. Eliminate overhead. Specifically, a non-profit organization will not be considered. Much more restrictions and stuff that doesn’t focus on the core idea – HELP THE PEOPLE IN NEED AND DON’T HELP THE STRUCTURE. With the Internet and social media, we can together do this very simply. All it takes is trust…
Trust and Faith – My Past Work
Of course, it will take time to build this, starting with a small successes, and building a solid track record. In this way, we’ll attracting millions of supporters like you. All I ask is that you trust me as we grow. Success and transparency will lead to more and bigger success. Sometimes, it takes a little faith on your part, and on the part of followers, to take the first step. A $1 or more gift is a small risk to vet me and prove that it can be done. Here a link to what I have done previously and continue to do. I produce and sell scenic calendars. From sales I have donated over $200,000 to charities. People trust me, so much so, that most of the sales are pre-sales. https://sites.google.com/view/calendars4charity/home )
Sites
We will use as much freeware as possibly to keep costs down and where it doesn’t compromise the integrity, security, and transparency of the mission. This is about the ‘steak’ not the ‘sizzle’. If you want pretty sites and all the bells and whistles to keep you entertained, then that means spending money, which means less for donations. “I need to be entertained”, you say. Well, I politely say, go elsewhere. There are many other sites for you to scroll and sit hypnotized in an alpha brain wave vegetative state watching videos and pretty things. As we grow, perhaps we will find volunteers to prettify the pages, or add paid staff. This is not an entertainment site. Thus, get in, give, go on to your daily life. Really, I don’t want to have followers spending a lot of time here, continuing their dopamine fixes and being trained to ‘keep their eyes on me’. Get in, do good, move on. Life is happening. Get off the screens and enjoy life.
Who Is The Creator / Owner / Operator of IkeKala?
I, J.Michael, am the creator, owner, and operator of this venture. I am from the USA and have lived and worked in many countries. As such, I have been blessed to meet many people, learn different languages and cultures. experience the similarities and differences that makes us all wonderful. I created IkeKala as a result of learning about how much money given to help others is actually wasted. As such, I only am compensated when we succeed in helping others. No fixed amount. No guarantees. No grants. No salary.
Use Of Funds – Project Costs
Full transparency. Each project posted will show all monies given, will list any costs associated with the project, and will list where the donation money goes and document how it is used. Costs will vary project to project. Some projects may incur operational costs, some may include travel costs, some may include professional fees, etc.
| Project Name: Doctors Without Borders Refugees and Internally Displaced People | |
| Gifts to Ikekala. | $100,000 |
| Creator Allotment (1%) | ($1000) |
| Operating Assets (0.5%) | ($500) |
| Money Transfer Fees | ($25) |
| Travel | $0 |
| Total Given To Person/Group | $98475 |
A typical project might look like this:
These are not actual numbers. For demonstration purposes only. Each project will have different line items and different costs.