GIVA FACT SHEET 2014

in partnership with

what is GIVA

GIVA is an innovative digital platform that allows Community Chest vetted

NPOs to connect responsible givers directly to individuals in need – via a

real-time feed – enabling customized, one-to-one giving.

why GIVA

Digital technology and social media have radically changed the way we relate,

communicate and transact. Increasingly, people ‘curate’ their lives and reputations

online, generating social currency through what they ‘share’. While the for-profit sector

has had to adapt rapidly to customer demand for individualised connection,

transparency, convenience, choice, feedback and instant gratification, the non-profit

and CSI sectors has stagnated.

why GIVA

GIVA represents a paradigm shift in the fundraising and donor spheres. It enables NPOs

to be more innovative in harnessing the power of digital technology to grow their

income streams, and allows businesses to democratise CSI by empowering employees to

directly influence the allocation of funds according to their individual preferences.

GIVA is also now officially a World Design Capital 2014 project.

how does GIVA work

The GIVA platform allows NPOs to broadcast the professionally assessed needs of

specific individuals within their programs to ‘givers’ (GIVAs). The GIVAs can then donate

to individuals of their choice (with their own money or their company’s CSI budget

allocated to them and converted to ‘GIVAbucks’, the platform currency), on a one-to-

one basis, in the knowledge that they are supporting legitimate needs and making a

transformational difference.

GIVAs receive ongoing updates relating to the individual needs they have given to, so

they can see the impact (positive OR potentially negative) their gives have had. GIVAs

also have the option to share their gives and updates in their social media spaces.

what makes GIVA different

For many charitable givers, direct handouts on the street are still the easiest option. But

this type of giving seldom has a long-term positive impact. Companies, on the other

hand, often channel CSI funds to NPOs via once-off donations, with limited ability to

track and measure long-term impact. An efficient mechanism has been absent for both

corporate and individual giving, on a one-to-one basis.

Using innovative digital technology, the GIVA platform bridges the divide between

responsible givers and those in need by enabling individualised connection, real-time

feedback and systematic transparency.

how can SDAs benefit from GIVA

GIVA offers SDAs (Social Development Agencies) the ability to grow revenue streams,

respond swiftly to individual needs, track long-term impact, grow their reputations and

build direct relationships with individual donors.

•Additional revenue stream: GIVA has been designed to target new revenue streams

that are complimentary, and not antagonistic, to existing NPO revenue streams.

•Quick response: The immediacy of GIVA in broadcasting individual needs and quickly

matching them with suitable donors enhances the NPOs’ ability to respond to needs in

real-time.

•Marketing tool: GIVA allows NPOs to communicate their work in individual, human

terms, adding a REAL human face to the issues being addressed.

how can SDAs benefit from GIVA

• Donor communication: GIVA enables NPOs to communicate with donors in real-

time, through their mobile devices, opening up a direct communication line in form

of instant messages to strengthen relationships.

• Direct assistance: GIVAGurus (young, dynamic students) will be dedicated to the

NPOs to manage the daily/weekly GIVA tasks and add a fresh perspective and energy

to the team

how can businesses benefit from GIVA

The potential for branded social media exposure makes the GIVA platform a desirable

conduit for corporate donors. GIVA also offers corporates an effective tool to

democratise their CSI spending.

•Democratising CSI: By being given the freedom to choose where CSI budget is spent,

employees are able to engage more fully in the CSI process, potentially influencing

company giving culture and improving employee satisfaction.

•Two-way value stream: Employees are able to affect change with the help of their

company, which could increase employee loyalty, and therefore employee retention.

how can businesses benefit from GIVA

• CSI buys social media exposure: Employees share their gives, branded with the logo

and messaging of the relevant company, on their own social media platforms,

providing the company with credible, ‘word of mouth’ brand exposure paid for by

CSI budget.

how can citizens benefit from GIVA

The final phase of the roll-out of the platform will be focused on enabling the general

public to give via the platform. By creating a profile and loading money to the platform,

they can give to those in need.

•Choice: The user has the choice of who, for what, and how much they want to give,

including the ability to customise the feed to their interests (i.e. education, job creation,

etc)

•Transparency: Users know that all needs are vetted, and money flows to audited SDAs

who administer the needs.

•Real-time, instant gratification: After the needs have been fulfilled, users get

immediate feedback by way of photographs that show the change the helped create.

how can citizens benefit from GIVA

• Individual connection through digital connectivity: People are use to forming

connections with other people online (social media). They can now learn more about

the person they’re helping and also see the effect that their assistance had.

• Convenience: User can log on to the platform from any mobile device, and give

directly from their online wallet, loaded with ‘GIVAbucks’

who is behind GIVA

This groundbreaking initiative is the result of a unique three-way partnership between

The Safety Lab, Y&R and Community Chest.

The Safety Lab is an innovation hub and ‘test center’ focused on safety and security

in the Western Cape. The Lab conceptualises, develops and tests paradigm-shifting

models, drawing on local insight, social innovation and technology. Through

enquiry, experimentation and fieldwork, the Lab challenges existing paradigms,

bringing an independent perspective to complex issues. Technology enablement is

one of the Lab’s areas of focus, and development of GIVA began early in 2013.

From early 2014 until end 2015, the Lab will assist in the further development of

the platform to ensure improved ease-of-use and performance.

who is behind GIVA

Y&R is the GIVA platform’s full service, pro-bono agency and the GIVA concept and

IP is jointly owned by Y&R and The Safety Lab. Y&R provides ongoing creative,

marketing and design services, as well as playing an active role in helping The

Safety Lab to secure GIVA-enabling corporate partners.

who is behind GIVA

The Community Chest is GIVA’s NPO incubation and implementation partner.

Community Chest has a long and distinguished history of philanthropy and

community development dating back to 1928. Their aim is to address poverty and

facilitate social change by inspiring a nation of active citizens. Through mobilising

support across the nation – and being innovative in harnessing resources and

capabilities – they enable collective impact. GIVA will be incubated within the

Community Chest over the next 18 months to become one of their flagship

fundraising products. This will ensure that all ‘early-adopting’ NPOs adhering to the

participation criteria will have access to the support, auditing and financial

structures required to make GIVA a success.

when will GIVA be rolled out

A proof-of-concept closed test was successfully conducted in mid-2013 in collaboration

with Y&R, Dare to Share, Blikkiesdorp 4 Hope and Native.

The first-phase rollout of GIVA is planned for 2014, with 15 Cape Town CBD-based NPOs

earmarked to take part, under the guidance of Community Chest and The Safety Lab.

www.safetylab.co.za

Community Chest is looking to the future and incubating GIVA as one of the innovative offerings to establish a new, additional revenue stream

NPOs have the ability to help individuals with specific needs quickly, by getting

additional revenue through the platform

The platform promotes individualised connection, transparency, convenience, choice, feedback and instant gratification –

all current consumer demands

NPOs can connect with givers directly and build

stronger relationships

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