There’s a saying that “Charity begins at home” and now you can help our fellow Filipinos in need through your chosen charity without even leaving your home.
GLOBE Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), the operating company behind
GCash, is helping nongovernment organizations (NGO) with the launch of its corporate social responsibility arm called “GCash for Good.”
The launch held Friday at the One Canvass Events place in Makati City, further develops the GCash app into a more socially relevant and sustainable platform that will help address issues across different levels of society.
With
GCash for Good , GCash users can use the GCash app to donate to various groups to create an impact on society. This allows GCash to be a more inclusive and open platform that will help create better opportunities for millions of Filipinos.
Thanks to its scale, with more than 20 million users and innovative digital platform, GCash is well-equipped to become a springboard for donations to non-government organizations (NGOs) that champion various advocacies.
‘We have always strived to build a better financial ecosystem in the Philippines, and as a socially responsible corporate citizen, we want to leverage on our strength as a digital platform to help others create a better country moving forward,” Mynt president Anthony Thomas said.
At the sidelines, Mynt VP for Corporate Communications Reyner Villasenor told media that they expect the number of NGOs under the GCash for Good program to be around 100 by the end of this year as the program aims to make it easier for NGOs to receive donations.
“[Around] a hundred. I won’t discriminate if they are qualified but I will also have to manage expectations because we are not just a payments platform; if you sign up with us, we will campaign with you,” Villasenor said.
He also assured that all these NGO’s will be screened so that each organization that will receive their own QR code will be legit and that all donations will be received by their beneficiaries.
Currently, the GCash for Good program includes 35 NGOs, all of which have completed their documentation requirements both from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Mynt before the program was launched.
We don’t discriminate, whether you are a big or small NGO. Today, what we are launching is the coalition of the willing. These are the 35 NGOs who responded to our call of giving . . . What we are trying to do here is to leverage on the platform and make sure that giving will be easy for users,” he said.
“We are okay to sign up more partners as we go. Late last night, I got about 20 [more NGOs] that want to join the program…They can be part of the next phases,” he told reporters.
Platform for generosity
GCash is mindful that people now prefer to donate online, as this removes the hassle of having to go through long queues and processes, and gives them more time to focus on their daily lives.
According to a study by Global Trends in Giving, 54 percent of individuals prefer to donate online, while the total volume of donations made online grew by a strong 12.1 percent in 2017
Along with this, various research shows a growing trend in micro-donations and crowdfunding with sites like Patreon and Koti gaining massive support. According to Tech's Good, microdonations range between $0.25 and $10. This kind of donations, albeit small at a time. can make a huge difference once added up.
With innovative mobile money technology like GCash, people who want to do good are now empowered with a more efficient experience.
GCash for Good aims to create a community where doing good and giving back is open to all. Any amount will create huge opportunities for organizations that forward different issues. With GCash for Good, users will also have direct access to where their donations go. It showcases a more transparent and user-friendly interface for anyone to access.
‘Our purpose for creating GCash for Good lies in our ardent desire to encourage generosity among Filipinos. We want to create more opportunities to allow people to give to and give back to the communities.” Thomas said.
Platform for the green agenda
For its initial launch, GCash for Good has partnered with Bantay Kalikasan, Haribon Foundation, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and the Forest Foundation Philippines.
Through its e-money platform GCash. Mynt aims to develop financial sustainability mechanisms that would strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts for these partner organizations. It also plans to proactively join campaigns that call for a ban on waste imports. deforestation, and waste incineration.
Together with these organizations. GCash is pushing for a greener Philippines, recognizing the huge impact that the environment has in the daily lives of Filipinos.
“We have a shared vision of creating a lasting, long-term positive impact on the environment. With joined hands. we promise to be strong government partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.” Thomas said.
GCash for Good is talking to other NGOs to push other pressing issues into the limelight with the hopes of generating more support for the fight for a better Philippines.
Platform for volunteerism
Aside from this. GCash for Good aims to create a space for Mynt employees to practice their advocacies and become partners for the change that it envisions.
“We want to be able to make a difference, and we recognize that doing good is not a one-man job. We believe that we should be working together for the better. With GCash for Good. we're making change accessible and easier for everyone,” Thomas said.