Syria Refugee Crisis: Obama Kickstarter Crowdsource Campaign Nearing Second Goal To Provide Shelter For Displaced Syrians

The White House is hoping that people at home will be kind enough to donate money to stem off the growing refugee crisis in Syria. A Kickstarter campaign was formally launched Monday, and by Thursday morning the initial goal of $735,000 had been met and the second goal of $1,225,000 was quickly approaching.

A blog post by the White House outlined the dire situation emanating from the civil war in Syria: 12 million people displaced, and counting. That's roughly the size of the two biggest American cities, New York and Los Angeles, combined. While the U.N. High Commission on Refugees (UNHRC) has requested $4.5 billion in humanitarian assistance from international governments, the goal was $2.7 billion short as of Sept. 24.

"This isn’t just about what I can do as president. Every single one of us – from citizens to [non-governmental organizations] – can help refugees find safe haven," President Barack Obama was quoted as saying in the blog post.

The Kickstarter campaign goals will help a small number of the total refugee population. The first goal that was met would provide necessities and shelter for 3,000 people, the next goal could provide for 5,000 and so on.

The Kickstarter campaign goals will help a small number of the total refugee population. The first goal that was met would provide necessities and shelter for 3,000 people, the next goal could provide for 5,000 and so on.

The Obama administration announced in September that the United States would accept 100,000 refugees from Syria for each of the next two fiscal years. That's up from an initial 10,000 the administration offered earlier that month.

Kickstarter, a crowd-source funding website that was launched in 2009, is usually a way for people to find funding for art, films, fashion projects or journalism. Users set goals for their fundraising and, if they meet those goals, then receive the cash to go pursue their dreams. The Syrian refugee campaign is a little different, if not only because it is the first non-profit campaign for the website, but also because if goals are not met the money will still go to UNHCR efforts. The money is also immediately dispersed.

The funding site isn't the only way that UNHCR and the Obama administration have leveraged good will with the private industry to help out in Syria. Instacart, a platform that lets users order groceries from stores online, has a campaign where donors can provide food to families. Twitter lets non-governmental organizations working on the crisis to raise money on its platform. Starbucks is asking customers on social media to donate money. Airbnb, the room and house sharing website, is giving housing credits to aid workers.