At a time when a man making a potato salad can raise over $50,000, some argue that crowdfunding has taken a silly turn. Attempting to disprove this, HandUp is a crowdfunding platform that helps connect backers directly with homeless people in need of help.

We feel good when we give. Whether it’s time, money or skills, it doesn’t matter – we’ve all felt it. But helping a neighbour with some heavy lifting feels different to donating money to a foreign charity. Canvas8 sat down with Dr. Lara Aknin to understand what makes us feel good about giving.

‘Effective altruism’ is a type of philanthropy that takes a firmly consequence-rooted approach to charitable giving. At a time of low-trust in charities, the practice can resolve some of the qualms people have about the organisations they support and the effectiveness of their donations.

From donating money at the click of a button to buying into a brand because it supports a shared personal cause, the way people interact with charities is changing. What societal shifts are driving this? And what do companies and charities need to do to stay connected and current?