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This is awesome! Is there something in the works that would make it possible for 'donors' to cover the annual enrollment costs for others? Or would that defeat

by sgpl 9y ago

This is awesome! Is there something in the works that would make it possible for 'donors' to cover the annual enrollment costs for others? Or would that defeat the purpose? And this is off-topic but that's brilliant photography - kudos to the photographer(s)!

chaseadam17 9y ago
There's not a way to donate online to cover enrollment costs at the moment. The best way to support us is to sign up to fund a surgery for a patient every month: https://watsi.org/universal-fund https://watsi.org/universal-fund If you'd rather help cover enrollment costs for Watsi Coverage, please email connect@watsi.org and we'll respond right away. Thank you!
- ketralnis 9y ago
  I just wanted to echo that I'd be interested in an automatic recurring donation system. I'm sure you guys have thought about this way more than I have, but my understanding is that those kinds of donations are a significant portion of funding for other non-profits like NPR By the way, the link to "learn more" on the FAQ for "can I donate monthly?" links to http://wwww.https//watsi.org/universal-fund http://wwww.https//watsi.org/universal-fund which confuses my browser so I get a connection error
  - _asummers 9y ago
    My understanding is that having recurring payments gives a sense of "stable income" for the non profits, and while having massive donation campaigns is obviously helpful, it's much harder to forecast.
    - toomuchtodo 9y ago
      I'd like Watsi to have an investment account where donations can be received but they operate off of the investment returns (similar to how Standford, Yale, etc operate financially). This would mean a gift provides for operating returns perpetually (or as long as the financial markets continue to exist). For example, a one time donation of $300 (invested) would provide for a health insurance member (at 78 cents/month) in perpetuity.
      - byronium 9y ago
        The perpetuity aspect is a good point, but the fundamental pitch of Watsi is "100% of your donation goes to a specific patient in need", not "100% of your donation goes into an investment account that will be invested in anything from oil to cryptocurrency (and things you might not necessarily agree with) whose returns will then go to a patient in need". The vast majority of donors donate to Watsi for precisely this pitch. Also if Watsi made this change, who would manage the investments? Wouldn't it fundamentally change the company from a small, lean, product-driven global health nonprofit to a socially responsible investment (SRI) company (which there already are many of)?
        toomuchtodo 9y ago
        Vanguard has a non-profit foundational division that manages this for an org: https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutional/clientsolutions/endowmentfoundation https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutio... There is no need for Watsi to handle the management of these investments/funds. > Wouldn't it fundamentally change the company from a small, lean, product-driven global health nonprofit to a socially responsible investment (SRI) company (which there already are many of)? Nothing would change except Watsi having more consistent funding and the ability to have a longer term strategy.
- TL_DR 9y ago
  If I don't click on "Dedicate my donation" will it not go to the person on whose profile I am at the moment?

by sgpl 9y ago

chaseadam17 9y ago

There's not a way to donate online to cover enrollment costs at the moment. The best way to support us is to sign up to fund a surgery for a patient every month: https://watsi.org/universal-fund https://watsi.org/universal-fund If you'd rather help cover enrollment costs for Watsi Coverage, please email connect@watsi.org and we'll respond right away. Thank you!

ketralnis 9y ago
I just wanted to echo that I'd be interested in an automatic recurring donation system. I'm sure you guys have thought about this way more than I have, but my understanding is that those kinds of donations are a significant portion of funding for other non-profits like NPR By the way, the link to "learn more" on the FAQ for "can I donate monthly?" links to http://wwww.https//watsi.org/universal-fund http://wwww.https//watsi.org/universal-fund which confuses my browser so I get a connection error
- _asummers 9y ago
  My understanding is that having recurring payments gives a sense of "stable income" for the non profits, and while having massive donation campaigns is obviously helpful, it's much harder to forecast.
  - toomuchtodo 9y ago
    I'd like Watsi to have an investment account where donations can be received but they operate off of the investment returns (similar to how Standford, Yale, etc operate financially). This would mean a gift provides for operating returns perpetually (or as long as the financial markets continue to exist). For example, a one time donation of $300 (invested) would provide for a health insurance member (at 78 cents/month) in perpetuity.
    - byronium 9y ago
      The perpetuity aspect is a good point, but the fundamental pitch of Watsi is "100% of your donation goes to a specific patient in need", not "100% of your donation goes into an investment account that will be invested in anything from oil to cryptocurrency (and things you might not necessarily agree with) whose returns will then go to a patient in need". The vast majority of donors donate to Watsi for precisely this pitch. Also if Watsi made this change, who would manage the investments? Wouldn't it fundamentally change the company from a small, lean, product-driven global health nonprofit to a socially responsible investment (SRI) company (which there already are many of)?
      - toomuchtodo 9y ago
        Vanguard has a non-profit foundational division that manages this for an org: https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutional/clientsolutions/endowmentfoundation https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutio... There is no need for Watsi to handle the management of these investments/funds. > Wouldn't it fundamentally change the company from a small, lean, product-driven global health nonprofit to a socially responsible investment (SRI) company (which there already are many of)? Nothing would change except Watsi having more consistent funding and the ability to have a longer term strategy.
TL_DR 9y ago
If I don't click on "Dedicate my donation" will it not go to the person on whose profile I am at the moment?