This book examines the representation, global inclusion, and commodification of the subaltern through digital platforms for online microfinance, the discourses of gender empowerment that emerge through MPESA promotional material online, and the use of games for change in online philanthropy.

Online Philanthropy in the Global North and South: Connecting, Microfinancing, and Gaming for Change offers a critical examination how online philanthropy operates through digital connectivity, affective networks of well-meaning digital givers, and the commodification of poverty through what is conceptualized as the “digital subaltern.” Chapters examine a range of online philanthropy settings such as online microfinance platforms and games for change, with case studies revealing unseen problems in how digital inclusion and financialization are attempted through the joint forces of NGOization and ITization.