This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.
Name: MyDunkTank
Quick Pitch: Anyone can do a dare to raise money for a cause they support, and their friends and family can vote with their dollars for the dare one has to do.
Genius Idea: There are already plenty of sites like JustGiving out there that help you get donations for a cause by hosting events or just straight up asking for dough, but MyDunkTank makes things more fun and lighthearted by making it into a dare.
It goes like this: You go to the MyDunkTank website and name the charity you want to raise money for and how much you want to raise, then make a short list of dares that you’re willing to do. Tell your friends, family and colleagues about it, and they’ll each vote with donations on which dare they’d like to see you do.
Go through with it after the dare’s been selected, and the money will go to the organization you selected. Founder Blake Jennelle did the very first dare on the site. He dressed up as a cowboy for a whole month to raise money, and documented the whole thing by posting YouTube videos to his Tumblr blog.
There are already several dares and fundraising campaigns in progress at MyDunkTank, and you can track the site on its Twitter account and Facebook page. Do you have any great dare ideas? Let us know in the comments, then go do them for charity!
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pinktag
Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”
More About: bizspark, fundraising, mydunktank, spark-of-genius, startup
For more Social Media coverage:
- Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
- Become a Fan on Facebook
- Subscribe to the Social Media channel
- Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad