Digital philanthropy for the masses: crowdfunding platforms marketising NGO partnerships for individual giving in India

Banerjee, Shonali Ayesha

doi:10.1080/09614524.2021.1938515

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…By highlighting and analyzing new virtual practices and digital inequalities, this article reveals how NGO staff find themselves increasingly compelled to commodify their networks, effectively depleting their own social capital in order to execute a crowdfunding campaign. Collectively, these findings broaden ongoing discussions of affect in development (Jakimow 2021, Anderson 2014, the impacts of digital platforms and emotive fundraising (Schwittay 2014, Banerjee 2020, and social capital in digital spaces (Chen 2018, McKay andPerez 2019).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…The field of international development contains multi-faceted layers of affective power, though how these hierarchies and inequalities present themselves in practice has come under increasing scrutiny. Using the concept of 'intimate technologies for development' (Banerjee, 2020)-modern technological tools that recreate affective social bonds and social capital in digital spaces for the purpose of mobilizing donors-I reveal the commodifying elements of crowdfunding models, particularly how they mobilize the social capital and connections of the NGOs during online fundraising campaigns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure Captions:Figure1: LetzChange.org public homepage on 11 December 2018(Banerjee 2020). Used with permission.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Used with permission. Figure2: LetzChange public project page on 18 June, 2019(Banerjee 2020). Used with permission.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intimate technologies for affective development: how crowdfunding platforms commodify interpersonal connections

Banerjee

2021

Third World Quarterly

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Recently emerged as transformative fundraising tools for development causes, crowdfunding platforms leverage the 'feelingful ties' that connect individuals in pursuit of NGO fundraising. Focusing on research conducted in 2018 with Indian platform LetzChange, this article frames crowdfunding platforms as 'intimate technologies for development', exploring how platforms leverage different forms of social and digital capital from their NGO partners to shape power relations within the development sector. By examining how crowdfunding platforms train local NGO staff to market their projects in digitally affective ways on social media, this article demonstrates the influence of modern technological tools that recreate affective social bonds and social capital in digital spaces for the purpose of mobilizing donors. It shows how NGO staff must navigate the complicated landscape of social, digital, and financial inequalities created within the crowdfunding process. Through analysis of specific digital fundraising practices, this article reveals how LetzChange compels its NGO partners to invest emotional labour into crowdfunding campaigns, inevitably creating apprehension from staff around the depletion of social capital. This article argues that affective digital practices like crowdfunding fall short of their inclusive aims and reinforce existing top-down power relations in the development sector by financially instrumentalizing the interpersonal connections of NGO staff.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intimate technologies for affective development: how crowdfunding platforms commodify interpersonal connections

Banerjee

2021

Third World Quarterly

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Investigating donor attitudes toward e-philanthropy crowdfunding platforms: a preliminary study in Saudi Arabia

Altarteer,

Bamoallem

2024

Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark

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For the Country, the Corporation and the Métier: Alternative Drivers Among Practitioners in Private Sector Aid

Sundberg

2024

Progress in Development Studies

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The financialization of development and the outsourcing of aid work to contracted businesses are strengthening the role of alternative drivers among practitioners engaged in international development work. These relate to but also transcend the dichotomy between altruism and personal self-interest, which often frames scholarly research on aid worker motivations. Focusing on consultants and development finance experts, this article highlights three institutional impetuses that guide practitioners’ work. They are concerned with the international competitiveness of donor operations, the stakes of one’s employer in cross-sectoral partnerships and the reputation and position of one’s professional sub-field. Consultants and development finance experts also highlight considerable staff movements across non- and for-profit institutions. In the increasingly complex architecture of aid interventions, such boundary-crossers operate in a new space of development brokerage, as mediators between public and private sector actors.

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Digital philanthropy for the masses: crowdfunding platforms marketising NGO partnerships for individual giving in India

Cited by 4 publications

References 13 publications

Intimate technologies for affective development: how crowdfunding platforms commodify interpersonal connections

Intimate technologies for affective development: how crowdfunding platforms commodify interpersonal connections

Investigating donor attitudes toward e-philanthropy crowdfunding platforms: a preliminary study in Saudi Arabia

For the Country, the Corporation and the Métier: Alternative Drivers Among Practitioners in Private Sector Aid

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