Unlike traditional aid campaigns, this competition is based on the number of donors rather than the total dollar amount. This model of community-based donations emphasizes creating an engaged group of followers over solely raising money.
"I feel that the only way to get big issues addressed is by finding ways to get lots of people at the grassroots level to work together, to find ways for the powerless, the voiceless to get serious influence," Newmark told Mashable.
The prize money will be distributed proportionally between the four competing organizations, based on the number of donors.
The campaign emphasizes using social media as well as craigconnects.org to increase awareness of each organization's objectives.
The Craigslist founder started his philanthropy as a means to distribute his wealth and create awareness for the issues that he's most passionate, using his significant Internet following. Craigconnects plans to use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help each organization strengthen its own online community.
Newmark said giving back to the people who risk their lives for him, by fighting in the country's wars, motivated his craigconnects campaign. "This effort is both a serious effort to support people who really have earned the genuine support of all America," Newmark says. "It's also a way to learn how to engage people to work together for the common good."
Blue Star Families, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, the Intrepid Museum Foundation, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America were chosen to participate in the project. Newmark says they were chosen for their proven track record working with veterans and military families.
Newmark has selected seven target areas of support: veterans' issues, community building, connectivity, journalism integrity, open government, technology for social good, and service and volunteering.
What do you think of Newmark's strategy of valuing the number of donors over the amount of money donated? Is building a community more powerful than any individual supporter?