Crowdfunding

My name is Brian Banks. For over 25 years I've been consulting with community activists, businesses and government in various roles including research coordinator, fundraiser, grants writer, program evaluation and management. I've never seen as much opportunity for Chicago's poor communities, as now, but I am concerned that all the money, which is flowing based on black women and youth protests, is missing these two groups and the communities they mobilized and agitated to get this $ for. The consequences could be catastrophic and create even more alienation, and disconnection between Chicago’s south and west side communities, the rest of the region, and a recovering economy.

The purpose of this email is to get your input for a crowdfunding campaign I'm organizing for a virtual incubator that will help ensure black women and youth activists and the communities they are fighting for will get more access to the fruits of their victories. Through the incubator activists, community residents and businesses will have access to formal and informal digital organizing and crowdfunding training programs, which will develop and certify their digital and fundraising skills. Ten black south and west side activists, businesses, FBO/CBOs will be selected to participate in a 90 day crowdfunding campaign to raise $1 million, each for various competively selected community-based health, community economic development, education, safety and health programs. My projection is within 3 years, over 1000 individuals and organizations could be trained and over a billion in new investment raised. This would significantly increase job, wealth and perceptions of the target westside and southside neighborhoods. Attached is an article about impacts crowdfunding has as already and will have in the future.

The ROI on this project initially is 10X and would grow exponentially the following years. The results of the requested social impact investment will be measurable resulting in new jobs, higher incomes, wealth creation and quality of life, in the target neighborhoods, as crowdfunding changes current macro and micro incentive structures.I'd like to talk with you briefly about how teaching black women and young people digital organizing and fundraising is a key strategy for revitalizing the city, region, country and world, going forward. The proposal I want to discuss with you is based on models I've learned from Barack Obama, Edward Gardner, Ernie Durham, George Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Hawkins, Avis Lavelle, Juan Salgado, Bill Gates, Iris Deaderick, Johnnie Mae Coleman, Michael Porter,James Compton, Robert Blackwell, Bill Strickland, Lauren Sugarnan, Gamaliel Network, Robert Sampson, Brenda Palms-Barber, Henry Barlow, Bruce Dixon, David Orr, Maureen Hellwig, Phil Nyden, my students, colleagues and many, many others.

I'd like your thoughts on who else might be interested in this type of project.

Sincerely,

Brian

Sent from my iPad