Guy Accidentally Sends A Poor Community A $15,041 Donation Instead of $150, Chaos Ensues
Charity is one of the purest and kindest actions an individual can take. When one man recently shared his funny charity story on Reddit, however, he multiplied his contribution when the story went viral and people started donating thousands to the charity he had supported!
Before we get into the story of his honest mistake and the outsize impact it had, we’d be wrong not to shine a light on the challenges facing the community he donated to. Bangladesh has taken significant steps to reduce poverty levels in the country, but poverty levels are reported to be around 18% in 2023, with about 20% in rural areas. With a population of over 170 million people, that means that millions of Bangladeshi people face challenges securing adequate resources.
For some of them, however, one man’s story of accidental generosity gave them some breathing room. Read on!
After a chance encounter, this man wanted to donate a reasonable sum to help the people of Bangladesh. But he got (or gave) more than he bargained for
Image credits: Michael lima (not the actual photo)
Instead of the $150 he meant to donate, he made a mistake and donated $15,041
The reaction to his accidentally generous donation was overwhelming
We’ve all probably made mistakes typing before, but few of us have probably put so much money on the line as a result! We can only try to imagine how Michael must’ve felt when he realized that he’d donated $15,041 instead of $150!
Arguably worse than that, however, would’ve been the feeling of filling those people with hope and then letting them down. Certainly an unenviable conundrum! When they noticed the massive donation that Mike had accidentally made, photos came in from the Bangladeshi community posing with signs with Mike’s name on them thanking him for his extraordinary support. A local organizer presumably set up some of the recipients to pose with the food his donation would purchase.
Mike still needed to refund the donation, but doing so having seen their need made this a heartbreaking decision.
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Image credits: lazybear90
Some users questioned the poster to check if his story was legit
Many commenters, however, were inspired to contribute to the poor Bangladeshi community’s charity as well – or at least to thank Mike for his kindness
One fortunate outcome, of course, has been the popularity of Mike’s story. As a result, Redditors have flocked to the Bangladesh Relief charity’s GoFundMe page to donate (Here’s a hint – you can, too! Just click here). Another, perhaps less obvious outcome, is that Mike’s brain probably got a good dose of chemical positivity as a result of his actions.
According to the Cleveland Health Clinic, there are real neurological benefits to giving to others. In addition to releasing dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, studies show that acts of charity can reduce our blood pressure and increase our longevity. Charity also improves our feeling of connectedness with the world and the people around us. It’s practically a win-win!
In addition to the poverty statistics we mentioned earlier in the article, the country experienced catastrophic flooding in 2022 that led to displacement, impoverishment, and economic damage. As a result, there are many Bangladeshis who still need help. If Mike’s story has inspired you at all, consider donating, too!
People even began to share similar stories of people flirting with accidental financial ruin
https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-food-relief-assistance-in-bangladesh is the charity that OP linked to on Reddit, if any Pandas feel the urge to donate :)
omg! It's so amazing to see how much higher the donation is compared to when the OP posted their screenshot. Really makes me feel better about humanity. :D
Load More Replies...F**k, one of the best stories I read on BP, I really liked this one
His sharing the charity and his mistake did more good for that charity than the mistake would have. We really do need to be more proactive in raising awareness of this sort of thing!
Nefarious activities aside, I love the power of GoFundMe and similar ilk. I've done this many times and it's amazing how pocket change to most of us, combined with 5000 other donors, equals life changing moments for folks. Sometimes I think they should gamify an aspect of the site whereby people donate 1 dollar (1 dollar only, no more, no less) with the goal of getting 1 million people to donate to a great cause that is to be determined. When a million is reached, a selection of worthy causes is offered and we vote. One determined, the cause gets 90% and then a random draw of the donors is performed to see who gets the remaining 10%, or 100k. I don't know the legalities of this but imagine how painless it would be to put 1 buck each in 10 different donation drives, all for a worthy cause and a great incentivization.
Best story I've ever read on BP. I'll be adding a few bucks myself & (like so many here) will mention that Michael sent me. It feels great to be part of this amazing group of good-hearted people. We cringed along w/Michael at the TIFU moment, smiled & cried at the resolution, then squeezed our budgets to help make up the difference (& then some). Kudos to all!!!
this is heartwarming and cringe-worthy at the same time. i’m so happy he helped the community, but spending that much money accidentally?!
I regularly donate through the Kiva micro-loan site. You make a small loan to someone you choose for a project that will help someone improve their lives. Their repayment rate is over 80% and most of the recipients are women (I think 75%). When they repay it you can redirect it to someone else. I gave my family members all $50 gift cards from there for them to pick someone. I've helped several people get indoor toilets because I still remember during a financially hard time, having to use an outhouse for almost a year.
Glad he still sent a reasonable amount of money even after his refund.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-food-relief-assistance-in-bangladesh is the charity that OP linked to on Reddit, if any Pandas feel the urge to donate :)
omg! It's so amazing to see how much higher the donation is compared to when the OP posted their screenshot. Really makes me feel better about humanity. :D
Load More Replies...F**k, one of the best stories I read on BP, I really liked this one
His sharing the charity and his mistake did more good for that charity than the mistake would have. We really do need to be more proactive in raising awareness of this sort of thing!
Nefarious activities aside, I love the power of GoFundMe and similar ilk. I've done this many times and it's amazing how pocket change to most of us, combined with 5000 other donors, equals life changing moments for folks. Sometimes I think they should gamify an aspect of the site whereby people donate 1 dollar (1 dollar only, no more, no less) with the goal of getting 1 million people to donate to a great cause that is to be determined. When a million is reached, a selection of worthy causes is offered and we vote. One determined, the cause gets 90% and then a random draw of the donors is performed to see who gets the remaining 10%, or 100k. I don't know the legalities of this but imagine how painless it would be to put 1 buck each in 10 different donation drives, all for a worthy cause and a great incentivization.
Best story I've ever read on BP. I'll be adding a few bucks myself & (like so many here) will mention that Michael sent me. It feels great to be part of this amazing group of good-hearted people. We cringed along w/Michael at the TIFU moment, smiled & cried at the resolution, then squeezed our budgets to help make up the difference (& then some). Kudos to all!!!
this is heartwarming and cringe-worthy at the same time. i’m so happy he helped the community, but spending that much money accidentally?!
I regularly donate through the Kiva micro-loan site. You make a small loan to someone you choose for a project that will help someone improve their lives. Their repayment rate is over 80% and most of the recipients are women (I think 75%). When they repay it you can redirect it to someone else. I gave my family members all $50 gift cards from there for them to pick someone. I've helped several people get indoor toilets because I still remember during a financially hard time, having to use an outhouse for almost a year.
Glad he still sent a reasonable amount of money even after his refund.
121
13