The Hunger Site: Capitalism's Proudest Moment
Written: Apr 25 '00 (Updated Apr 25 '00)
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Pros: No cost to you
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| TheAdvocate's Full Review: Thehungersite.com |
Who says capitalism and altruism don't mix?
The Hunger Site is the web project of John Breen, and exists as a beautiful example of what I call "market altruism." Visitors to the site simply click a button to donate food, and the corporate sponsors whose ads appear on the "Thank You for Your Donation" page then pay for it.
The concept works because the sponsors get something for the money they donate: the brief attention of human eyes and an increased potential for an advertising click-through. The Hunger Site's economic transaction is mutually beneficial - a characteristic that separates capitalism from socialism.
In theory, Breen's ad concept is no different from that of any online business. But he's able to bypass two normally difficult economic hurdles: consumer esteem and motivation to act.
Market forces have repeatedly shown that companies supporting altruistic efforts enjoy the esteem and often the purchases of consumers. This is nothing new, but the Hunger Site's novelty lies in who benefits from this economic transaction: not a corporation, a business, or even Breen himself, but the world's hungry. The clicker (you and I) benefits too, in what economist Michael Rothschild calls "social profit" -we feel good about the result of our participation at the Hunger Site, and that good feeling (whether for social profit or financial profit) is what predicates every successful business transaction.
And though Breen chose to limit "profits" to only food donations (a valid choice, but one not usually associated with capitalism), he could have chosen to cover his overhead. Perhaps his situation doesn't demand that he cover such expenses, but any entrepreneur who wishes to enter the "business" of altruism can usually generate both overhead and donations through this type of market force manipulation.
Within the last few months, the site has launched IMPACT! - The Hunger Site Newsletter. If you sign up to receive it, your food donations triple! According to the site promo: "GreaterGood.com will make a one-time donation of 5 cups of food today to the World Food Programme. Combined with your regular donation, this can equal more than 7 cups of food." Not bad, eh?
If you believe that charity should be a private, non-coerced, freedom-of-choice issue, the management of which should not be placed in the inept and bloated hands of the government, then put your money where your Epinion is! Come on all you bleeding-heart conservatives and libertarians! Click on the Hunger Site's Donate Free Food button today!
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