Project Brief
An app that transforms small daily amounts into meaningful donations, empowering everyone to contribute.
I saw the problem that while mostly people might want to donate but they would still hesitate thinking that the money they are going to donate might be used somewhere else, but sometimes we forget that there are a lot of times when we might save up some amount of money even if it 10–20 rupees but it adds up to a lot in a span of time which could be huge contribution for a charity.
So what if we could track the savings in the donation app itself? Obviously you can do that yourself in any other app but would you?
Problem Statement
The objective of this app is to eradicate prevalent mental stigmas associated with charitable donations, fostering an environment where every individual feels empowered to contribute to causes they care about. The aim is to emphasize that even small contributions make a meaningful impact, encouraging widespread participation in philanthropy.
User Story
As an individual who has not previously engaged in charitable donations due to various reasons, I aspire to contribute to diverse charities aligned with my interests and personal connections. My goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of others, even through modest donations, and play a role in bringing about meaningful change.
Some Observations
People might donate only when the charity campaign is famous or brought up by influencers on social media.
Lack of awareness of grassroot organizations and reliable charities.
People mostly want to know where there money is going and want transparency.
They might want to donate to local charities cause they can see the process up close.
Concerns about personal data security as they would not like to give all their personal info at the start of the signing up process itself
Questions
Have you ever actively participated in charitable donations, or is it a regular practice for you?
What, in your opinion, acts as a barrier preventing people from engaging in charitable giving?
Could you share insights into the types of organizations you typically donate to? Are there specific categories of charities that resonate with you?
If you have attempted to encourage your friends to make small donations and encountered resistance, what reasons did they provide for rejecting the idea?
What challenges have you encountered while using donation apps in the past?
What inspired your involvement in philanthropy, and what factors contribute to your decision to donate to charities?
What features would you like to see incorporated into a charity donation app to enhance your user experience?
From your perspective, what are the fundamental requirements that a charity donation app should fulfill?
How do you perceive the reputation of a charitable organization, and to what extent does it influence your decision to make a donation?
Have you ever shared your donation experiences on social media? If so, what motivated you to do so?
Problems faced while donating
Lack of trust and if the money they are donating is actually getting used at the right place. Their should be transparency and clear information on where the money used and showcase previous donation.
People worry about their own finance when we need to find a way to donate in small amount or collect.
Thinking their contribution does not matter cause others are donating. We need to emphasize that every donation matter.
Overwhelmed by the number of choices so we will have to give them a selected number of choices.
Complicated donation process makes it harder for them so we will have to make it easy for them.
Immediate results which will so we will hae to show them all the results that are happening for continued donation.
Fear of scams at the first place
Political beliefs might slay down the decision and and we will have to promote non partnership
Some people are not aware about certain issues and lack motivation to donate.
Individuals might prefer to donate for local causes over global ones.
Different generations will have have different ways of donating
Difficulty in relating to the individuals and communities benefiting from the donation so we will have to create stories.
Competitive Analysis
Before starting the project I did competitive analysis to identify existing design patterns and flaws. I studied the user flow to understand the decision making factors of a user, in a better way. Some of the apps were
ShareTheMeal
Impact Guru
Donation Options & User Experience: Both Impact Guru and ShareTheMeal allow users to select causes and donate either once or on a recurring basis. However, their user interfaces could benefit from scrollable urgent cases and streamlined category access for smoother navigation.
Transparency & Information: Both apps provide essential information, such as charity details, updates, and FAQs, but could improve interaction by incorporating real-time updates and more engaging, interactive reward systems.
User Support & Accessibility: While they present options for global and local causes, both lack an inbuilt chat feature, limiting direct support or assistance, which can hinder user trust and convenience.
Who, What, Why
Who
Individuals interested in contributing to charitable causes.
What
The current donation landscape faces challenges in encouraging seamless and widespread contributions due to a variety of mindsets and concerns held by potential donors.
Why
People exhibit reluctance to donate due to issues such as lack of trust, financial concerns, perceived ineffectiveness, overwhelming choices, and fears of scams. These mindsets create barriers to easy and enthusiastic participation in charitable giving, hindering the potential positive impact of donations on important causes.
By addressing these challenges, we aim to create a user experience that fosters trust, transparency, and emotional connection, making the donation process more accessible and appealing to a broader audience. This will contribute to breaking down barriers and encouraging a culture of generosity, ultimately benefiting the causes and organizations seeking support.
Sign In and Onboarding
Users have the option to Log In through google, email and various social media platforms so that their mental model is not broken cause this is the common process that most people follow while signing up on any app.
I decided not to request the user’s phone number during sign-up, as it could deter them from completing the process and potentially lower the overall sign-up rate.
Getting to know users’ preferred donation categories right from the start builds a stronger connection with them and gives us a clearer view of their concerns.
This makes the donation process feel more personal and meaningful.
Home, Saving Tracker and Search
The homepage features urgent fundraisers, current fundraisers, and categories for users interested in donating to specific causes.
Each donation post includes
- Its category
- The number of donors
- The progress towards the fundraising goal
- When was it last uploaded on the app
The platform is divided into global and India sections, allowing users to support well-known international charities or local organizations they are familiar with.
The app also categorizes donations into individual requests and trusted organizations, catering to those who prefer to donate exclusively to well-established charities.
A home screen notification lets you quickly add any amount of saved money (or points) in one go — even if it’s as little as 5 rupees or just spare change.
This way, you can build up a small fund over time that’s ready to be donated whenever you decide to support a charity.
Post
Each post incudes three essential elements
The narrative explaining the cause
Documentation providing proof of legitimacy
Weekly updates on the progress of the initiative to keep users engaged and informed
Additionally, posts feature location information, phone numbers, chat options, bookmarks, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) for further details.
Donation
The donation options include predefined choices that have been previously used for convenience, or users can customize them as needed.
These options typically encompass Credit/Debit Card payments, banking transfers, UPI transfers, Net banking, and Wallet payments, with the receipt option being compulsory before finalizing the donation.
Connections and Basic Requirements
The ability to connect with the people you’re funding, making the experience more personal.
Access to a clear breakdown of app operations to build trust and transparency.
Notifications to keep you updated on various activities within the app.
Challenges
One of the major challenges we encountered was figuring out how to save every penny and then aggregate it in a manner that allows for accumulation and later donation. This issue remains significant and requires substantial refinement to ensure seamless integration of the app with other platforms.
Organizing the posts in a manner that ensures all necessary information is clearly visible and presented in a trustworthy manner to maintain trust between the organization and the user.
Takeaways
I’ve often observed people refraining from donating, citing the need to save funds for themselves, while simultaneously spending money on unnecessary or frivolous purchases.
However, even small amounts, when collected continuously, can lead to meaningful change, no matter how modest. It’s all about raising awareness and ensuring that those in need receive assistance.
While this concept requires significant improvement, particularly in terms of integrating the app with other platforms such as payment apps like Google Pay, it’s important to recognize that this is just the beginning.
