A new website called Charity Bribes take donations for various charities while at the same time goading celebrities into doing “wacky” things, like joining Twitter. The site takes “bribes” from users, which are in turn tied to various charities. Said funds are then used to attempt to talk famous people into doing whatever, and all the money raised is then donated to its corresponding cause.
The concept was created by ad copywriters Chris Baker and William Spencer, and the process is fairly simple:
Join the bribe by pledging money.
If the bribe actually works, funds go to charity. If not, no one is charged.
So, like Kickstarter, if the bribing project fails, none of the patrons are charged. Once the initial bribe funds are collected, the “dare” is presented to a celebrity, who in turn have 30 days to follow through. And, the celebs aren’t supposed to know what’s even going on really at the point of the bribing, with the site’s creators assuming that they have no access to the internet. Users are also encouraged to submit potential bribes for the future:
Apparently, 716 people want to hear Garth Brooks belt out a cover of Sapients’ “My Grind is Tech,” to better acknowledge their stake in The Parkinson Center of Oregon. The present bribe is to try to get Larry David to join Twitter, and has already raised over $7K to benefit the National Resources Defense Council.
Baker and Spencer explain that 5% of the donation proceeds will be applied to operating and accounting costs, which seems legit, and in the FAQ section of the site, the question of “why?” is addressed:
This is a fun way to try to get a celebrity to do something we would appreciate. Something funny, odd, or interesting. Something awesome. More importantly, it raises money for worthy causes and helps make the world a little bit better.
What do you think about Charity Bribes?
