Mobile Trend Creates Cultural Shift in Micro Philanthropy

“World Vision” has developed a mobile app called ‘My Kids,’ which is an overseas children sponsor application. (image: World Vision)

SEOUL, Korea, April 28, 2014 (Korea Bizwire) – The mobile applications are revolutionizing the ways of charitable giving to fun, engaging and simple. Now users can engage in philanthropic deeds and have fun at the same time just by connecting to mobile.

“World Vision” has developed a mobile app called ‘My Kids,’ which is an overseas children sponsor application. The app, which was inspired by the application “Celebrity Look-Alikes,” will recognize the user’s face when the user takes or uploads a picture on to the app, and introduce a foreign child in need that resembles the user.

The users can choose the nationality and the gender of the child that they want to help, and sponsor up to 30,000 won a month, or donate 10,000 won regularly to a special overseas charity program, which provides food and clean water to those in need.

Such a trend that fuses entertainment elements with charity together through mobile technology is garnering widened awareness worldwide as well.

“Budge” is another good-will application mixed with entertaining factors which has enjoyed a steady stream of donations from users in the United States and Australia.

With the application, the user can challenge friends and family in everyday activities or play games they already love, and the loser of the challenge has to donate a preset micro donation – typically $1-$5 – to one of the app’s partnering charities, which include children’s hospitals and world poverty initiatives.

According to Venture Beat, the application, after its successful beta launch, has raised $1 million in funding from influential investors such as Square Peg Ventures and Tony Faure, former CEO of Yahoo! SouthAsia.

Additionally, the company has cultivated partnerships with key nonprofits including African Services, BreastCancer.org, EngenderHealth, Envirolution, The United Nations World Food Program USA, and many more.

An official in the charity industry said, “Currently, charitable giving is at an inflection point – struggling to engage younger generations while also grappling with how best to revive a stagnant industry. With their easy-to-use platforms, the applications such as My Kids and Budge will involve more younger generations to philanthropic deeds and also help with the economic recession while helping those in needs.”

Written by J. H. Kim (jhkim@koreabizwire.com)

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