Oklahoma Organization Ensuring Every Donated Penny is Put to Use

The negative news surrounding an Oklahoma-based charity is why another, smaller organization is stepping up its mission.

Friday, March 5th 2010, 5:45 pm

By: News 9


By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The negative news surrounding an Oklahoma-based charity is why another, smaller organization is stepping up its mission.

"The inability to trust money distribution of non-profits is exactly why we established WideAwake.org," said co-founder Frank Victor-McCawley.

Victor-McCawley along with Brian Manning and Jason Hirshburg said they're putting people in touch with small organizations around the world that do effective work.

"After years of development, we have been able to create an online charitable marketplace where individuals can chose exactly where to send their gifts," Victor-McCawley said. "We use something we call 'Our Every Penny Policy,' meaning that we take no administrative fee, so every dollar reaches those in need. What we do is we cut out all the middle man in the process so that we connect people directly to that organization that's on the ground."

The organization's founders said they got the idea for the project after visiting several impoverished communities in South Africa. Their goal now is to give donors peace of mind when it comes to their donations.

"We go out and find quality organizations that we check out ourself so that we have a personal contact with, that are doing really good work around the world," Hirshburg said.

To prove donations are going to the right projects, each group or person on the receiving end has been given a camcorder, and they're required to document the progress being made. Those who've donated will receive the video updates along with a thank-you message from those being helped many miles away.

As of today, Wideawake.org is helping 13 grassroots organizations in 11 countries.

Learn more about the organization

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