The Children's Heart Unit Fund (CHUF), a UK-based charity that supports children with heart disease, recently announced that it had received nearly $ 48.000 in donations made using cryptocurrencies.
The new opening to crypto donations is a success
According to Charlotte Campbell, director of Fundraising and Operations at CHUF, the charity considered the idea of accepting crypto donations after one of its donors, Dan Bainbridge, suggested it.
Bainbridge also promised $ 10.000 in BAT as a donation. In a press release, CHUF said donations were made using The Giving Block, a service that allows non-governmental organizations to accept cryptocurrency donations.
CHUF provides support to Pediatric Cardiology Unit patients at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and launched an online fundraising appeal in April when the UK was blocked due to the COVID-19 pandemic that interrupted regular activities fundraising campaign.
According to Campbell, although the charity had previously received a one-time bitcoin donation from Banbridge in 2017, this is the first time that CHUF has made a public appeal for cryptocurrency donations.
"I had heart surgery when I was a kid," said Bainbridge, stating that he received a lot of support from people's charities when he was about a year and a half old. "I always thought that if I had been successful, I would have liked to return what was given to me."
Accepting cryptocurrency donations has created a portal to a whole new audience
Bainbridge, the founder of BigBirdVC, a venture capital fund centered on cryptocurrencies, also claimed to have helped connect the charity with the Giving Block platform.
According to CHUF, in addition to Bainbridge's contribution, another large donation was made by an anonymous donor. The individual donations were paired with the platform's COVID-19 rescue campaign, bringing the total donation amount to approximately $ 48.000.
"Although cryptocurrency donations are more popular than ever, it's rare to see donations of this size from individual donors," said Alex Wilson, co-founder of The Giving Block, in a statement statement.
According to Campbell, opening up to cryptocurrency donations has allowed the charity to access a whole new audience. "It gave us visibility in the United States that we've never had in the past," he said.
The charity uses the money donated to provide meals to patient families, purchase new medical equipment and obtain toys for children, among other uses. Currently, CHUF accepts crypto donations in Bitcoin, Ether, ZCash, Gemini Dollar, BAT and LiteCoin.
In short, if you also have a bitcoin wallet you can make a donation. By the way, did you know that it is possible to buy Bitcoin with PayPal? No? then we advise you to read our guide to find out more.
