Twitter India raises $7K
By Ria Sharma

Popular micro blogging platform Twitter and other social media like Facebook have happily provided their platforms for charitable and social organizations to raise funds for worth causes.

The latest was the Twestival which took place on March 25, 2010. Tens of thousands of Twitterers in 175 cities across the world joined hands to raise funds.  What is heart warming is that everyone volunteered their time and every cent raised was donated to charity. All proceeds generated from the 2010 Twestival will be donated to Concern Worldwide, a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization that since 1968 has dedicated itself to reducing suffering and eliminating poverty. Concern Worldwide has an impressive track record in the field of education.

Last year, Twestival raised $250,000 to provide clean and safe drinking water for citizens of poor countries.

Twestival Global 2010 has almost doubled the funds raised last year. By April 4, 2010, it has raised about $438,418.  The contributions of each nation depended on the number of Twitter users in that country, their ideas and energies and last but not the least how badly the nation had suffered in the recent recession.

Of the $438,418 raised so far, USA was the largest contributor with $117,000.  UK Followed with $91,300 in donations.  Iceland which has a tiny population and was buffeted during the recession raised $22.

Twitter is hugely popular in India.  Indian Twitterers managed to raise $7,000.