By: Queenie Resmundo
Donating monetary assistance to non-profit organizations has been made easier in just a few clicks with the Giving Hero mobile app, a Filipino technology startup advocating the use of technology for good.
The Giving Hero mobile application
With the current situation where many sectors are affected by the pandemic, the citizen philanthropy among Filipinos has become even stronger. An incubatee of UPSCALE Innovation Hub in UP Diliman, Giving Hero, allows individuals to donate to its 13 partner NGOs and 20 campaigns that mostly respond to COVID-19 pandemic, environment efforts, youth empowerment, and children-related advocacies.
Users can sign up using Facebook or Google account and it has a user-friendly interface, making it easier for members to send money via GCash, BPI, Paypal, or Coins.ph. Giving Hero ensures that the security of its users using the app is of high priority.
In the hopes of democratizing fundraising, Junver Arcayna, CEO and co-founder of Giving Hero, said that they started conceptualizing and building it even before the news of potential lockdown. And it was the right time for Giving Hero to be launched as there has been a greater need for an efficient giving platform.
“We believe that many Filipinos actually are willing to help. It just so happened that before you have no avenue to do small giving,” said Arcayna.
Through Giving Hero, users can donate at least Php50.00 to cause of their choice. Arcayna also shared that out of 448 giving transactions last May, 48% are from P50-P150, and 30% are from P151-P500.
The startup believes in the impact of many organizations that are small, community-based but do not have access to technology. They encourage NGOs that are looking for other ways to get resources to join the Giving Hero community with no setup fee.
“We envision a world where generosity is a lifestyle. We hope that more nonprofits will be able to use this technology as it allows us to also see how digital giving is in the Philippines,” Arcayna added.
For more information, visit the official Giving Hero Facebook page.
The Giving Hero app is available in Google Play and App Store.
SEA Wave magazine’s SEAtizens initiative is a series of inspiring stories of people in Southeast Asia who champion the human spirit by demonstrating courage, ingenuity, generosity, and selflessness amidst the current crisis.