Using Bitcoin For Charitable Causes Through BitBill
Supporting Charity with Bitcoin
Regardless of how you look at things, there are so many charitable causes around the world that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of. And while only the major relief efforts seem to be making mainstream media headlines, you can bank on it there are several smaller initiatives taking place in your city, or close by at least.
In fact, there are more “good causes” n your country than you are probably aware of right now. And that is only normal, as not every good cause has a market budget to create a television ad or even advertise in a magazine. The causes that need your support are struggling to make ends meet. On the other hand, the initiative itself might be on such a small scale that, unless you live in the neighborhood, you may never know it even exists.
A perfect example of such a small – but very important initiative here in Belgium comes in the form of “Handgemaakt voor Levensloop”. Roughly translated, it reads “Handmade for Relay for Life”. The main objective of “Relay for Life” is to bring together communities and help them in celebrating the lives of people that have fought and overcome cancer. All over the world, there are numerous initiatives to raise cancer awareness by highlighting the positive stories of those who battled the disease.
The reason “Handgemaakt voor Levensloop” caught my attention is because it is run by the sister-in-law of a friend of mine. Truth be told, that is not the entire reason, as the person behind the initiative is doing this for a noble cause. At her request, I will not go into the specifics, but rest assured it is a heartwarming story.
This success story was so touching that it inspired my friend’s sister-in-law to create the “Handgemaakt voor Levensloop” initiative. Not just to raise money for Relay for Life itself, but also because she wants to give back to the person who stood by her along the years. And what better way to create a small fund-raising initiative than by offering handmade keychain bracelets in return for your contribution?
Bitcoin Is A Powerful Tool For These Initiatives
Granted, not everyone might want a bracelet in exchange for their donation, as some of us just like to do a good deed without expecting anything in return. I set out to find out if it was possible to make an anonymous contribution, and after a few text messages between my friend and her sister-in-law, I ended up with her bank account number.
At this point, I could just use my bank account to send over a donation, or I could use an existing service that lets you pay bills or send money via bank transfer to anyone in Europe with Bitcoin. It goes without saying the choice was made quickly, and a donation in Bitcoin – even though it will appear as a regular wire transfer – was the right way to go.
After opening up the BitBill website – which is only available to European customers at this time, – I entered the person’s name, bank account details and the amount I wanted to contribute. Once Bitbill verified all of the data – in mere seconds – I was presented with a QR code to send my Bitcoin payment. That is how simple the entire process is, regardless of whether you are sending money to someone, donating to charity or paying a utility bill.
In a few days from now, my friend’s sister-in-law will receive a wire transfer for an anonymous donation to her “Handgemaakt voor Levensloop” initiative. On a personal level, I managed to use Bitcoin for a good cause, even though there was a small hurdle to overcome to make the payment.
And even though the transaction itself does not mention Bitcoin anywhere, everyone reading this article will know the exact story as it happened. This just goes to show you that creating use cases for Bitcoin – even in your personal life or as a way to help others- is not that difficult, if you want to put some effort into it. There are many charitable initiatives around the world that can use your help, so why not go out and spend some digital currency on a good cause?
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