While we’ve discussed the externalities of giving aid, this article shows that aid can also have a powerfully positive effect.

Narges Bani Asadi created a Facebook page for UNICEF with a goal of raising $5,000 for Syrian refugees. The amount of aid raised exceeded Narges’s expectations. The article states: “Over the following two weeks, Narges’s plea to ‘Help Syrian Children Under Siege’ was shared and shared, its circles of influence growing exponentially. The majority donated $20. Very few donated $100 or more. Yet by the time the fundraiser ended on December 13, it had been shared more than 500 times, and almost 2,500 people had donated to help Syrian child refugees. Collectively they had raised over $103 thousand.”

Notably, Narges notes that she was confident the money raised for UNICEF would be well spent. States Narges: “It is a very credible brand. And interestingly, I grew up in Iran — I migrated to the United States about 12 years ago. In Iran, I was aware of UNICEF helping kids with education. So I knew that UNICEF is a good organization, and that it’s about children. I knew I can trust UNICEF.”

Perhaps the benefits of aid depend largely on the mission of the organization collecting aid. Ultimately, this article shows the power of social networking and the impact of mobilizing a community in a non-traditional manner.