Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2012
Japanese non-profits often say that the biggest challenge they face is fundraising, but at the same time, Japanese companies and individuals are more motivated than ever before to contribute. To help match projects with donors in a transparent and responsive way, a new online charitable-giving platform has been launched called i-kifu, or “I donate” in Japanese, and CEO Nhat Vuong is trying to bring a little fun to the mix as well.
Here’s how it works: member NPOs, initially vetted by i-kifu, can post specific projects that need funding. Individuals can then choose which projects to fund, knowing that the NPO will submit monthly progress reports on how the money is being used. For donating, as well as other activities such as volunteering or spreading information about a project through social media, users get “bono points,” which i-kifu plans to use to reward its most active users.
Companies, meanwhile, have several ways to get involved. Of course, they can participate as donors, but they can also sponsor a particular NPO or project, covering the 10 percent usually deducted for operating costs, which attaches their brand to a particular cause. They can also offer prizes for i-kifu users to help promote their product or service. All of this adds up to a greater return on investment for CSR activities and a way to better connect individual employee contributions to overall company efforts.
“We are all about simplifying social contribution and making it more fun,” says Vuong. “That’s our vision so that more people participate.”
