Bizstartup.ie - NewsMygoodpoints.org charity will help causes via the web

Set up by Killian Stokes in 2009, Mygoodpoints.org is a registered charity that aims to be fully up and running by September 2010.

Mygoodpoints.org has just emerged from the inaugural NDRC Launchpad programme, which gave the start-up support via its three-month accelerator programme in the form of incubation space, project mentoring and financial assistance.

The objective of Mygoodpoints.org is to provide users with an online account where they can set up a ‘charity account’ to gather and collect their unused loyalty points – be they coffee shop, air miles, petrol or supermarket points – and donate these points directly as cash to fund a charity project of their choice.

People will be able to donate unused loyalty points to a charity of their choice via the web, Facebook or a mobile application on their phone.

Then, when the money has been received by the charity, the donor will receive thank you notes and photographs via email so they can see that their donation really is making a difference.

The genesis of Mygoodpoints.org

Stokes, who has a background in the telecoms sector, was doing research on Aids with Concern in Uganda in 2005 while he was completing a master’s degree in international relations. Despite the dire scenario, he says he noticed how technology was everywhere.

“What struck me at the time was the potential. I figured that it would be very possible to use the network to channel funds down directly to communities and, at the same time, to channel information back such as updates, video blogs, photos, update reports from the charity workers.

“Literally every charity I visited has a computer so the infrastructure is there. People managing projects are PC savvy.”

Upon his return to Ireland in 2008, Stokes got together with some people from the telecoms sector and together they came up with the idea of using loyalty points as a means of making a donation to a charitable cause.

“They were seeing all of this stored value going to waste, that this unlocked value could be donated to charity.”

Then, in 2008, Stokes went knocking on doors in Ireland and the UK to try talk to philanthropists.

“We had a good business plan and a good pitch but because of the recession we were getting nowhere.”

Vodafone Ireland Foundation World of Difference competition

In 2009, Stokes applied to the Vodafone Ireland Foundation World of Difference competition. He was one of the last four winners, each of whom got their salary paid for a year and all of their expenses.

“This gave the whole project credibility. On the back of that we were able to close a deal with KPMG. They were very good in helping us get charity status for our organisation. They helped us with the Revenue Commissioners and they’ve also given us a lot of free pro-bono advice.

“We also got a position with Microsoft on its BizSpark programme so we’ve accessed all of its free technology.

“Once we got charity status Google gave us access to €0.5m worth of Google AdWords. Salesforce is also providing support. It was great getting all those five corporates on-board.”

Volunteering effort

In the meantime, Mygoodpoints.org has also been able to pull in a lot of volunteers.

“We’ve had an extended team of 15 people helping at different stages.

“We got free engineering time, web designing, free graphics, free printing. We talk about it as having €1m of free technology.”

On the back of the Vodafone World of Difference competition Stokes also traversed the Atlantic in 2009 to attend the Clinton Global Initiative, an annual philanthropic conference that’s held in New York each September.

“That was an amazing experience and we made some great contacts out of that such as with the Rockefeller Foundation. We’ve had some doors opened there.”

According to Stokes, with the genesis for every internet movement such as Facebook having been spawned in universities, “there’s no reason why Ireland cannot produce a global online movement. This is an ideal platform to do that. We have this great history of giving; we have been the Silicon Valley of Europe in recent years; and the third element is we have entrepreneurship and an ability to communicate.

“We’re hoping to marry these three things together to promote Mygoodpoints.org as a global movement. Our ambitions are big on this.”

And as a result of the Vodafone World of Difference sponsorship Stokes also got free membership to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.

“We’re not ready for market. It’s been a tough time but everyone we ask has been so positive and willing to give their time. People from all walks are willing to donate their expertise and time. 

“It’s still a long way to go. Like any charity we’re still looking for philanthropic support."

Accessing donors through multiple digital channels

“We’ve looked at the market and who is giving in this way and really it’s not something that’s happening here in Ireland. It’s still an untapped market. Ultimately, Mygoodpoints.org will sit on your mobile phone as an application. You’ll access it through social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn,” he affirms.

Killian Stokes, founder of Mygoodpoints.org, pictured in the State of Eritrea, Africa