Startup’s Interactive Platform Helps Users Realize the Benefits of Making a Difference
CHICAGO (August 4, 2015) – A 2015 study by the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University showed that at the end of 2014, charitable giving was at an all-time high, with 95.4% of households giving to charity, contributing on average almost $3,000 in the calendar year. With more people donating to non-profits than ever, Chicago-based entrepreneur Stephen Lee developed a mobile platform called ChariPick, which utilizes lightning-fast technology to help foster giving and capitalize on its effects—the immediate gratification and happiness that results from making an impact and doing something good for a cause.
Available for free in the Apple Store and Android Market, ChariPick provides users with the ability to donate as little as $1 a day to interesting, lesser-known charities. ChariPick’s database of nonprofits launched with more than 100 IRS-registered, tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organizations around the United States and will continue to expand, with each entry carefully identified, selected and curated by ChariPick. The goal is to pinpoint relevant charities that need the extra exposure to make a difference.
ChariPick creates a highly personalized giving experience for its users. Upon registering, users are surveyed about their giving interests, being asked to select from three distinct, comprehensive subject areas: Animals & Environment, Health & Education, and Human Rights & Services.
Once the area of interest is identified, users are presented with three unique non-profit organizations daily, chosen from ChariPick’s database, which are aligned with each individual user’s interests by algorithms and become more personalized over time. Each option is accompanied by a brief, engaging description, which outlines the benefits of donating to it, along with a breakdown on what percentage of ChariPick users selected the charity that day. From there, based on budget, users can donate between $1 and $10 for the day, opting to share details about the nonprofit and donation via social media channels, inspiring others to follow suit. All the donations are received and processed to the charities by an independent PCI Level 1 compliant third party. And if at any time a user wants to donate their time and talent, the app also provides a “Volunteer” link that educates users on how they can become involved with an organization on a hands-on, local level. At the end of the month, all users receive detailed, easy to read statements that provide a visual overview of their impact, as well as a record of each donation. At the end of the year, all users will receive a statement providing a record of their all donations to each organization for tax preparation purposes.
“I perceived an opportunity for ChariPick based on increased levels of individual and company contribution trends,” says former hedge fund partner and now founder and CEO of ChariPick, Stephen Lee.
“However, it was my work on nonprofit boards that fueled my curiosity to learn more about why people give and what motivates them to do so that finally resulted in launching a platform that met those needs, providing an interactive low-cost way for users to donate and do so habitually with fun, ease and interest.”
In developing the platform, ChariPick’s research team, which includes a Harvard business professor, drew upon numerous studies that found donating to charities leads to increased overall happiness. The Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, among others, shared many commonalities in their conclusions. Chief among these was that individuals donate to charities because, from a psychological standpoint, they feel increasingly happy when doing so. According to Lee, “If donating as well as receiving makes people happier, better off, ChariPick could be a conduit for positive change, on a daily basis.”
For more information on ChariPick, visit ChariPick.org or ChariPick’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Download ChariPick for free from the Apple Store or Android Market.
About ChariPick
ChariPick is on a simple mission: to help people discover how great it feels to donate to charity, even with as little as a dollar a day. The Chicago-based startup handpicks small and medium nonprofits that focus on distinctive causes and make a huge impact, making it easy for their users to see where their money is helping and feel good about it.
