#GivingTuesdayIndia is celebrated on the Tuesday of #DaanUtsav – India’s week-long festival of giving (2 – 8 Oct). Every year, individuals use this week to give – be it to the environment (planting trees), local organisations (donating goods, money and time), or to their communities (organising collection drives).
If you want to take part in this festival but didn’t know where to start, this list is for you. It’s got websites, apps, and contests you can take part in, all of which are designed to make the process of giving easier.
DonateKart allows nonprofits to create wishlists of supplies they need – be it books, cleaning supplies, rice, or clothes – so that individuals who want to provide goods instead of cash have an easier way to do so. The process is simple, you pick an organisation, select what you’d like to purchase for them, and make the payment. The team at DonateKart then gets the supplies and delivers on your behalf.
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Ever wondered whether there were any nonprofits in your vicinity that you could volunteer time, donate money or gift goods to? Well, wonder no more. The IamHere app (available on android and ios) now has Guidestar India’s directory of more than 8,700 nonprofits. Download the app to locate nonprofits near you, learn about them, and talk to these organisations. It even allows you browse for relevant events.
Leading up to Daan Utsav over 15,000 retail establishments (beauty salons, chemists, local kirana stores) will have tentcards with a QR code you can scan to make an instant donation. This is in addition to 500 restaurants in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metro that will also have posters with the QR code. You can give whatever you feel comfortable with – be it INR 10 or 1,000.
Sumara – a Google Chrome extension – is running a “donate while you shop” campaign. It’s simple; you download the extension, and every time you buy something online (on Amazon, Myntra, Flipkar, Jabong etc), they will make a donation on your behalf to a nonprofit of your choice. The best part? They come back to you with the details of the impact created because of these donations.
Picture Courtesy: Aseema Charitable Trust
The Seva Kitchen app allows you to donate food, or find food for people in need. Once you download the app, you can sign up as a donor, as a receiver, or as both. The app will be then customised accordingly. So, if you want to cook a meal for a few people, or buy them one, download this app and find out who could benefit from it.
Have you heard of the #HaftaChallenge? Sign up on their website and get a unique challenge (or act of kindness that you have to carry out) delivered to you, by email, every day for one week (2-8 October)
Indian Blood Donors.com is a community of over 11,000 blood donors spread across the country. It’s simple, effective, and free. And it can match you with a donor near you within minutes. Pledge to become a blood donor to join and expand their network, and potentially save a life.
Snapdeal is sending stationery kits. to nonprofits that work with child education across India. Each kit costs Rs 10 only, and you can buy these as an add-on when you’re shopping, and the Snapdeal team will deliver it to the nonprofit themselves.
#MyGivingStoryIndia is a contest where participants write in with their personal stories of giving and nominate a nonprofit of their choice. Once published on the website, people can vote for their favourite stories, and the ones with the most votes stand a chance to have their nominated nonprofit receive a donation.
The #GivingTuesday India website has a repository of 500+ vetted nonprofits – browse by location, cause, beneficiary group, and make your donation online. There are also a range of options that can supercharge your donation through matching grants and prizes for nonprofits.
Tell your colleagues, friends, and family about #GivingTuesday and Daan Utsav. Help spread word about organisations you support, or initiatives you find interesting.
If you want to see how some organisations celebrated Giving Tuesday last year, watch this video.
The artwork above is courtesy of the nonprofit Aseema. For more information, please click here.
