Crowdfunding is a global phenomenon but contrary to what most think, it's not a new model of funding. Nonprofits have been utilizing crowdfunding for longer than you may realize. In 1949, Actor and Comedian Milton Berle hosted the very first telethon for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. A little over $100,000 was raised in 16 hours. That's the equivalent of nearly a million dollars today! This telethon is probably the earliest example of public nonprofit crowdfunding.
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