Alva James-Johnson: Online fundraising is tricky business

Last week, I wrote about an online fundraising campaign for Harold "Lefty" Encarnacion that didn't seem to be gaining much momentum.

After the column was published, a few readers complained that the link I provided in the online version didn't work. I checked it out and they were right. While the URL was correct, the hyperlinks looped back to my column page on the Ledger-Enquirer's website.

I'm a novice at inserting hyperlinks, and obviously I didn't know what I was doing.

So I fixed the problem as quickly as I could and notified those who complained about the change.

It was a lesson learned, and I apologize for any inconvenience.

But even after fixing the problem, I saw that the fundraiser remained stuck at $1,490 on the GoFundMe website for several days. I thought that was weird, so I checked with Lefty's sister, Yolanda, who lives in California and set up the page a month ago.

Lefty, for those who don't know, was the owner of the now defunct Millie's International Market, which served the local Hispanic and Caribbean communities for more than 20 years. He was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis and needs a liver transplant. His sister launched the GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his medical expenses.

When I called Yolanda earlier this week, she said some people had complained that they tried donating on the website and it wasn't registering. She looked into the situation and discovered that GoFundMe shuts down the account if the money isn't removed within 30 days. So she set up a bank account, transferred the money and reopened the site Tuesday. The account is now up to $1,540.

I also talked with Millie, Lefty's wife. She said some people told her they don't like using their credit cards online. So Columbus Councilor Evelyn "Mimi" Woodson, a good friend of the family, is helping set up a local bank account for people who want to donate.

All of the above has led me to this conclusion: Online fundraising, while ubiquitous these days, can be a little tricky.

On Facebook, I've seen people raising money for everything from emergency rent to private school tuition. Some campaigns work really well, bringing in thousands of dollars. Others sputter along with a dollar here and there.

What makes the difference is still a mystery, and there's still so much to learn.

Yet, I like the idea of people being able to take matters into their own hands and raise money for whatever cause they champion. That's as long as there's proper security, of course, and everything is on the up and up.

As for Lefty, Millie says things are not looking good. He made an appearance at Saturday's Tri-City Latino Festival and was back at St. Francis Hospital the next day, where he remains. She said he has a kidney infection and won't even be considered for a liver transplant until it clears up.

Raising money is a noble endeavor, but what Lefty needs most is prayers.

Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 3:55 AM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: Online fundraising is tricky business ."