Dana.io: Inspired Crowdfunding

2014 June 13
by Tanya McGinnity

danaio

I’m a super-big fan of crowdfunding and have backed many projects close to my heart on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Everything from films (my personal weakness), graphic novels, video games and more has first piqued my interest and then gained my support for its production. Honestly I can’t think of a better way to ensure that the products that I believe in and want to see in the world become a reality.

So imagine my joy when I received news about dana.io, the world’s first fee-free crowdfunding platform for authors, artists and activists. Sign me up!

We are a group of ​mindful creatives who have ​come together to develop a crowdfunding ​platform designed to support collaborative artistry and activism - our ​fellow revolutionaries changing global consciousness. Our name, dana​.io is a concept from ancient India at the time of the Buddha and is understood as the inspired support of generously sustaining a vision based on its value to society. Born from a love of service, dana is the practice of using one’s own freedom to support the freedom of others.

The founder and director of dana.io is Alan Clements – a rather interesting and inspiring fellow I must say. Some quick stats on Alan:

  • Former Buddhist monk in Burma (one of the first Westerners to ordain)
  • Former investigative journalist
  • Former Director of Amnesty International
  • Co-founded the World Dharma Online Institute
  • Performer
  • Speaker
  • Author of many books

I could go on and on, but I’d encourage you to check out his bio for all of the full details. It’s well worth the read and will certainly convince you that this is the man with the team to make things happen with this exciting project.

Dana.io have launched with several interesting projects currently in the active crowdfunding stage including a 10-year anniversary outreach project from the makers of The Corporation to gift a license to 1000 schools and a  transmedia production titled Out of History, by Harry Sutherland. Additional campaigns set to launch include: a legal fund for whistle blowers at a nuclear facility; a campaign for a GMO free world; a group of monastics at Thich Nhat Hahn’s monastery in France going on a peace building program to Liberia to lead mindfulness retreats for former child soldiers; a global yoga outreach initiative supporting selfless services for at-risk youth; and a book seeking the end of sexual violence towards women in war zones by Marcia Jacobs, a former representative of the International War Crimes Tribunal.

Dana.io themselves are currently running a CrowdGifting Campaign in which all visitors to the site are offered a free digital download of Alan Clements’ latest book ‘A Future To Believe In: 108 Reflections on the Art and Activism of Freedom,’ which has received kudos from Bill McKibben and Buddhist scholar and activist Joanna Macy among others.

If you have an idea for a project that may be a fit for dana.io, don’t hesitate to contact them as they are seeking projects relating to activism, art, causes, design, dance, environment, health, publishing, video and so much more.

It’s so wonderful to see another player in the crowdfunding space and one which has such awesome values and spirit behind it.

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