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Crowdfunding venture launched

FundAid
Martha Perkins
Martha Perkins is spearheading Glacier Media's FundAid community crowd sourcing initiative.

There are times in all of our lives when we need help. Maybe a disaster has struck, a devastating illness, a fire, an accident. Maybe we have a cause or charity we want to support. Or perhaps we are that proverbial person who has everything and we want to celebrate a special milestone in our lives by paying it forward.

Glacier Media, which owns Coast Reporter, wants to be there to help, too. It is launching FundAid, a crowdfunding initiative that taps into its member newspapers' deep ties to their communities.

"The biggest challenge in any crowdfunding campaign is getting the word out," said Martha Perkins, a former newspaper editor who is spearheading FundAid. "That's what we're good at. Our newspapers are built on a strong tradition of sharing stories and information that matter to our readers."

Perkins is available to help individuals and groups come up with effective FundAid campaigns that will better ensure their success and will let editors know of campaigns that might be of particular interest to their readers. Member newspapers will also be running weekly ads for FundAid and will help spread the word through their social media channels.

"We see this as a way to do some good in our communities," added Alvin Brouwer, the president of Glacier Media's community digital media and newspapers in the Lower Mainland. "Glacier Media has so many resources that can be put to work to help people raise the money that they need."

Ways a FundAid campaign can help: raise money for a friend or relative who is facing financial hardship because of an illness or accident; pay for equipment or travel costs for your sports team; create a lasting legacy through a memorial fund; or celebrate your birthday or retirement by asking for donations to your favourite charity.

FundAid is partnering with Fundrazr, a Vancouver-based company that recently won the City of Vancouver Excellence Award for small technology companies.

Fundrazr has created a dynamic platform that makes it easy to create a campaign and spread the word through social media.

Local businesses can get involved, too, by offering perks or sponsoring the service fees for a campaign.

For more information, go to FundAid.ca or contact Perkins directly at mperkins@glaciermedia.ca or 1-604-630-3525.