I will be able to host a session.
Update about agenda and details will come further.
Date: 2014-06-23 20:00:00 - 2014-06-26 20:00:00, Asia/Tbilisi Time.
URL: www.wehelp.ge
Looking forward to hear more Boris 
any updates on this?
@Boris hi!
Should we expect a session on wehelp and the broader discussion on sustainability of the innovative charity startups? I remember that’s where we were left with after meeting in April, but perhaps you have something else in mind? Who’s it for, so people know what to expect choose to attend?
Currently I’ve put it down as “Future fundraising: building trust and meaning”, one of the parallel sessions on the 25th before lunch.
Let me know as i am finalising the last details of the agenda for next week, thanks!
Yes
Hello again, I will host and present the session sure.
I will bring some examples of other experience and hopefully we will be able to find solutions together.
Session reflections
The Wehelp model has potential, but it could benefit from increased exposure and clearer identification and selection of patients/participants to make sure it is fully inclusive - especially to families without internet access in remote areas, who may also be the most in need.
Reflections
Check out medicine for all in Egypt, I can’t find a website but you can look at this link:
I have contacts for Waleed, if you wish to learn more about his work.
Also, you should explore ways of establishing partnerships with a mobile operator in order to reduce commissions on mobile banking, by promoting not only CSR but how the operator may profit from this partnership (eg. more load on their network)?
Finally, maybe you can add a gameified component to wehelp, for eg. the more money you donate and the higher your progress you will receive some sort of reward (access to a certain service, discounts on something, “gold stars” on social media so it encourages positive competition…I’m not sure. but that will also need partnerships with private sector companies. But this can serve as an incentive for philanthropy.
A new gadget
The site can be easily-accessible for the potential beneficiaries with creating the badge for the site where people can easily forward information they come across on facebook and social networks. These potential beneficiaries will go through a verification process and will be placed and open to money-donation subsequently. The extra advantage for people is that they can donate money much more easier without dealing with bank account numbers and stuff. This system is fully supervised by wehelp.ge administration and is totally transparent.
Thoughts
It was an interesting session on charity in Georgia. The Wehelp model is a clear example of the lack of collaboration and very competitive charity/NGO scene in Saqartvelo, which I hope you will overcome. Somehow. Also, I am sticking to my suggestions for closer cooperation with traditional media - maybe something more than just a few interviews, maybe a biweekly/monthly column with success stories? And yes, target both local language and English media - foreigners here would likely donate to your cases. Don’t know if you did it already, but why not putting your info on the megobrebs mailing list, so you would reach out more international people?
Summary of the Session
Georgia a very low level of charity and philanthropy. This has mainly to do with low levels of trust in NGOs and charities. Highest levels of trust in Georgia are in the church. They receive large amounts of donations, however, have a lack in transparency, no-one really knows where the money is going and what the overhead is.
How can we change this mentality, the perception of the Georgian population towards giving to charity other than the church?
WeHelp.ge is a crowdsourcing platform where people in medical need can receive donations. They have created a transparent open system, which eliminates any reason for distrust:
You can transfer money: through the electronic banking, by the electronic cards. Also via phone calls (1 call- 1 GEL). You can donate by PayBox machines as well. WeHelp does not generate any profit from the money transferred. Full amount of money is spent on the beneficiary, selected by the users. The amount transferred by you, is directly reflected on the beneficiary’s page and on the web-site as well. The user has the possibility to transfer money for the fund’s existence and support. Existence of the fund totally depends on users and partners. We do not take any % from the money transferred for beneficiaries. The users of Wehelp are provided with an opportunity to see beneficiaries’ health-related documents and to ensure the accuracy of the information. People need to know, why they are helping patients and make sure, that the information provided meets reality.
Their mission is to save the lives of peoples and connect beneficiaries with a large crowd; to connect the people in need, with the people who want to give. Boris “I was raised that if you give to charity, that money needs to go directly to the person in need, not the organization. So that idea we have implemented at wehelp. We dont take any overhead.”
There are video’s, pictures and personal stories. You can choose who you want to donate to and you will see right away this in the bar of money that person needs.
They use different kinds of tools for donating: creditcard, payboxes, mobile payments. The problem with mobile payments is that they take about 25%, which is too much. Dion proposes to embarrase them, they are steeling from people in need. Maybe Jumpstart could make a nice graph about it.
They’ve already raised 11.000 dollars without any marketing. Boris started everything himself, without donors. “I did not want to be tainted. I don’t get any salary from it.” says Boris. They marketed wehelp solely through facebook and gained a lot of attention. However, there s a PR plan in place to make it even broader.
They’ve also partnered up with several companies to support them. For example, the Radisson, with whom they made a strategy where their employees can choose to donate 5 gel a month from their salary to wehelp, 50% agreed. Very important: different companies have different approaches.
Perhaps more attention should eb brought to corporate social responsibility, however, in other countries the CSR department is often more cosmetics than actually doing any work.
Boris: “For me the most important part is the amount of people we have saved thus far.”Â