Creator / originator

The Joy of Giving Week Team

Summary / objectives

GiveIndia.org is a donation platform that allows donors to support a cause of their choice from more than a hundred nonprofit organisations in India that have been scrutinised for transparency and credibility. Donors are told exactly where their money went and are given proof of it through feedback reports. Since its inception in 1999, it has reached out to over 30,000 donors to support 150 organisations.

While there has been a substantial increase in the number of NGOs and volunteers in India, there are an increasing number of people who want to do something for society but don't know how to go about it. On the other hand, there are NGOs with interesting fundraising ideas that lack the scale and expertise to execute them.

Joy of Giving Week, an initiative coordinated by GiveIndia.org, is intended to be a platform to get such NGOs, individuals and organisations together. It is a focused initiative spanning seven days that aims to increase social awareness and to support fundraising for NGOs.

Background

The Joy of Giving week (27 September to 3 October) is a first of its kind initiative in India, when organisations and individuals from all walks of life can come together to contribute to society in different ways. The campaign addresses NGOs, corporates, celebrities, children and individuals through unique events that cater to each of these target audiences.

The week enables NGOs to participate in planned events, or to create their own fundraising events to spread awareness about the organisation's work. GiveIndia.org will support the NGO by providing expertise in organising the event.
And, through its wide network of social organisations, GiveIndia.org also creates the right visibility for these NGOs. One hundred per cent of what is raised through this Week will go to the organisation, with no additional cost being paid to GiveIndia.org

A dedicated website has been setup to create awareness of the event. This website will bring together NGOs, corporates and individuals to plan and realise the events together. The NGOs can register events and seek resources (e.g. an auditorium for an event) to support their event. Corporates and individuals can register for events and address the needs of the NGOs.

In addition to use by organisations, groups of individuals from smaller social networks (e.g. residents in the same flat or area) can also use the website to get ideas for fundraising they would like to implement during the Joy of Giving Week. They can then share the proceeds of the event with an NGO of their choice, and also share their experiences through a blog.

Special characteristics

The two key factors that differentiate the event are the scale of execution and the variety of target audiences that the event is aimed at.

The Joy of Giving Week includes local and national events spanning urban and rural areas throughout India. While the national events focus on reaching out to thousands of organisations across the country (including schools and colleges), local events in the major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) provide opportunities for local NGOs to participate in these events and showcase their efforts and vision.

For instance, the cloth collection drive that will be run by Goonj, a leading NGO in India, aims to collect over 10 millions items of clothing during the Joy of the Giving Week from across the country.

Secondly, the events planned as part of the Week are aimed at different sections of society. They include – a corporate football tournament aimed at employees in leading firms, entertainment programmes by celebrities for the general public, design challenges and college fests aimed at students from schools and colleges. In additions, individuals can also sign up for events like seven day seven gifts, when they volunteer to give a gift to those in need for seven consecutive days. Thus, every section of the society can experience the 'Joy of Giving' by participating in one or the other events during the week.

Influence / impact

The key role of GiveIndia.org is in coordinating interested individuals and organisations in realising this event. Hence, the impact of the event is not measured by the funds that are raised during the event. The focus is on ensuring that they are able to reach out to individuals and organisations through this initiative. This is measured by the number of people who register for the events.

Costs

The people costs for the event have been nil due to the strong volunteer support of GiveIndia.org. In addition, organisations have been forthcoming in supporting this initiative by providing a variety of media, marketing and logistics support for free.

Results

So far, there has been a very positive response from NGOs and corporates towards the event. The Joy of Giving Week is scheduled from 27 September to 3 October 2009.

Merits

Rather than being an individual fundraising activity, the Joy of Giving Week acts as a platform for many NGOs across the country to raise funds for their operations. The sheer scale that the event aims to achieve in the course of seven days of activities is unprecedented in India.

Another unique aspect about the Week is that rather than focusing on fundraising as a one-time activity, the Week focuses on raising awareness among children and youth on their role in the society, which will ensure that the habit of giving becomes a way of life.

Lastly, the range of activities that have been planned and the wide array of people who have been brought together in order to realise the event ensures that the week will have a substantial impact.

Other relevant information

The timing of the event ensures that it coincides with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which is on 2 October. This is to signify the aim to bring together citizens from various walks of life that was achieved in India during its fight for freedom. Also, it has been planned in such a way that the first and last days fall on a weekend to ensure optimum participation.

The campaign was launched by some key celebrities from India. In addition – for four weeks before the Week, a high profile TV, print, internet and outdoor advertising campaign will promote the Joy of Giving Week across the country.

Click here to see the short movie produced for the Week by renowned Indian film director Jayendra.