Crypto Charity Spotlight: FundLife
In this blog series, we highlight charities doing great work around the world that accept cryptocurrency donations. For this post, we are thrilled to highlight the amazing work being done by FundLife.
I had the privilege of meeting with Marko Kasic, Managing Director of FundLife, to discuss their work, their views on the intersections of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and social impact, and how they are partnering with Zodiac Friends NFTs to support their Dreams in Colour program.
FundLife’s Mission
“FundLife is a purpose-driven, not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to creating educational and employment pathways for highly vulnerable youth so they may unleash their potential to the world. Or, as we like to say, enable all children to; DREAM IN COLOUR”
FundLife offers a series of high impact youth programs in the Philippines focusing on Education, Empowerment, Infrastructure, Gender Equality, Emergency Response, and Peace Building.
Their flagship and award winning program, the Football For Life Academy (FFLA), is an innovative program for 7-14 year olds that makes use of experiential and play-based learning to “complement traditional education, nurture young champions, and unlock opportunities for under-served youth to achieve their full potential”.
Check out this video of Daniel, one of the FFLA program participants, talking about how the program changed his life.
A core theme in FundLife’s work is helping girls stay in and thrive in school. Through their Girls Community League program, which combines the power of play and education to keep girls in school, and their Girls Got This program, which helps empower vulnerable adolescent girls to achieve economic empowerment, FundLife has helped empower thousands of women and girls.
For more information on FundLife’s programs can be found HERE.
Impacts
Since 2015, FundLife has had an enormous impact on the community including:
60,000+ direct engagement and learning hours
780 teachers and youth leaders upskilled
200+ youth empowerment festivals delivered
14 schools adopting Fund Life curriculum
7 Safe space reclaimed for youth and women
When asked what he saw as the biggest impact of FundLife’s work, Marko explained:
“I believe our biggest achievement is keeping children in school. If you look at the blockchain and crypto industry - everyone who has been successful has had access to education, internet, and a laptop. The children we work with do not have this - and our programs provide them with these opportunities, which so many of us simply take for granted and never think about”
Marko also mentioned how FundLife, through their programs, has helped reduce school dropout rates from an average of 21%, to less than 1% in the schools they have worked. This is especially important, as many in the Philippines have struggled during COVID-19, with the Philippines being among the slowest countries to re-open their schools.
To address this, FundLife recently opened a new Community Learning Hub in Taboclan North which is open to children aged 5-13. On any given day, the learning hub supports up to 60 children per day, providing them with reading materials, educational toys, reading and writing classes, and fun learning activities.
Arthur Golong, President of the Habitat Village HOA, mentioned how “It’s a good thing that we have FundLife supporting us in making sure that classes and activities in the learning hub continue. Seeing the children all excited to access the space brings hope to quality education.”
The Crypto-Social Impact Intersection
FundLife recently became the first Phillipines-based NGO approved to accept crypto donations via The Giving Block. When asked why FundLife decided to start accepting cryptocurrency donations, Marko mentioned how:
“we see the movement toward blockchain-based solutions and believe it will impact our work. We believe our model decentralised empowerment and self-agency for everyone is aligned with the overarching and original vision of crypto, and that not only accepting crypto, but working with crypto companies can provide us with a new community of supporters.”
Beyond crypto donations, Marko and the FundLife team have also started exploring the potential of NFTs to help them grow their impact:
“Our partnership with Zodiac Friends has shown an authentic appetite from creators and the wider NFT community to add purpose and we’re really excited to see how this movement develops.”
They ultimately see the potential of crypto and blockchain going well beyond simply providing the organizations with a new revenue stream. Marko believes that blockchain can be essential in disrupting international development and solving some of the dysfunctions that plague it:
“It can transform the current dysfunction that exists in centralised, top-down giving that does not empower communities but acts to create dependency. We have seen peer-to-peer remittances have an amazing impact on the unbanked and we believe a similar impact is possible if we use the power of blockchain technology to decentralise development that can remove weak governance, inefficiency and ineffective programming.”
Partnership with Zodiac Friends NFTs
FundLife recently announced that they will be partnering with Zodiac Friends NFTs, as a beneficiary charity. This means that FundLife, as one of their charity partners, will receive a percentage of proceeds from the sale of the Zodiac Friends NFTs.
Zodiac Friends has the vision to “be a home to Asian individuals, artists and allies all around the world.” One way they aim to do this, by supporting other Asian-led NFT projects, with 12% of initial sales going towards projects that build up Asian talent in the NFT space.
Furthermore, Zodiac Friends aims to “tackle issues of equal rights, justice, poverty, and abuse in Asian communities,” and will be donating 8% of proceeds to Asian-based charities, including FundLife.
Learn more about and support FundLife
Interested in learning more about FundLife and supporting their important, high-impact work? Check out their website and social links for more information and to make a donation:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Donate Cryptocurrency
Donate Fiat Currency
