The United Nations Refugee Agency and Kickstarter have joined forces in an effort to raise money to help migrants fleeing the violence in Syria.
In a video, Anne-Marie Gray, executive director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, said this "human tragedy" is the "largest migration crisis of our time."
And, she added, "We all have a responsibility."
The White House also added to this call, conjuring the story of how in 1885, thousands of Americans banded together to collect millions to build a base for the Statue of Liberty.
Obama said that while the U.S. is contributing as a country to help refugees, regular Americans should step in, too.
"This isn't just about what I can do as President," Obama said. "Every single one of us – from citizens to NGOs – can help refugees find safe haven."
So far, the campaign has raised more than $928,000 from more than 14,000 people. Kickstarter says it is not charging its usual 5 percent fee, so all the funds — minus a credit card processing fee of about 2 percent — will go to USA for UNHCR.
Update at 4:19 p.m. ET. A Small Dent:
Julien Schopp, director of humanitarian practice at InterAction, an alliance of non-profits, told NPR's Robert Siegel that one of the problems with this campaign is that it will make a small dent in the kind of money that UNHCR needs to raise to meet their needs.
At the moment, UNHCR needs $4 billion. However, Schopp says, Kickstarter can help reach a new generation of people, who may be interested in giving.
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