Crowdsource Philanthropy

I recently heard an ESPN radio host say that his success was rooted in advice he received to avoid whatever the majority of people do.Essentially it makes sense, the masses define mediocrity.That said, there appears to be a growing trend of crowdsourcing in nearly every field of endeavour, including philanthropy.The Pepsi Refresh initiative invites all of us to vote (similar to American Idol) for which organizations will receive funding for their projects. (btw, that was the Canadian link, Americans can go here). The variety of prrojects proposed is enormous and ultimately those that are able to generate the most support stand to receive very helpful funding. I'm supporting the project from my friends at Ontario Pioneer Camp to enable more special needs children to experience summer camp; feel free to join me.In another vein, there is a web-based movement to raise funds to enable Donald Miller's best-selling book Blue Like Jazz to be made into a movie. The script, cast, and crew were all ready to begin filming in a few weeks when they lost funding. If the public can commit $125 000 US in time the movie will still be made. I haven't given to that one yet, I'm still undecided, though I was disappointed when the original funding failed.I see a critical difference between Pepsi Refresh and Savebluelikejazz.Accountability.Everyone has the right to use their own funds however they see fit (within legal limits). If you really want to see how Blue Like Jazz translates to the screen you should chip in and help. It's actually a cool way to generate not only funds but also buzz about the project.On the other hand Pepsi is essentially staging a popularity contest, not ensuring that the best projects will be funded. From a marketing perspective it's intriguing but in terms of grantmaking I can't help but wonder what the professionals in the corporate philanthropy office at Pepsi think about all this.I interact with grantmakers who take their responsibility to generate meaningful impact from their budgets very seriously. I know that if I endorse a project that ends up being mediocre or worse my employers will take note. More than that, I will know that an opportunity has been missed to make a bigger difference.Ultimately I have no problem with Pepsi Refresh. It's their money and if they can boost their image while also helping out some people that's basically a good thing.But let's not mistake popularity for effective philanthropy.