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A Standard Chartered Marathon Fundraising Experience

Here at GIVEasia we want to empower everyone with the gift of giving, but sometimes getting your fundraising efforts off the ground can be challenging. So this season, we’re interviewing some of our most seasoned givers who have had experience raising thousands of dollars for their respective causes. We think their personal stories will inspire many others to overcome their fundraising challenges and achieve their goals.

Here’s our very first story:

Meet Teik Chai. He has been running for charity for a decade! Over the years he has dedicated his run to various charitable organisations, such as Singapore Children’s Society and Women’s Welfare Society. More recently, as his family has been personally affected by cancer, he has dedicated his runs to the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS).

In 2015, he raised a whopping $5900 running for the SCS through the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS). The year before, he raised an impressive $4250. So we got in touch to find out how he was able to achieve such success in his efforts.

Hi Teik Chai! How did you first discover GIVEasia as a fundraising platform?

A number of years back, the marathon organisers offered it as a means to raise funds.

What do you think is the key to your being able to raise this incredible amount of funds every year?

I have friends who share and believe in the cause I run for and thus they wanted to be part of the effort to give back to society. I was also fortunate that some of these friends were very earnest in their support and contributed fairly large sums of money. They deserve very special words of appreciation.

What challenges did you face while fundraising and how did you overcome them?

Not everyone believes in doing charity, so sometimes you get a little disappointed when people do not respond positively to what you believe in. You just have to accept that that is how life is. So you just work harder and try to reach out to as many people as possible.

What have you learnt from your fundraising experiences so far?

Basically, most people are generous and sympathetic to various causes to varying degrees. If you give them a good reason to help, they will come forward to do their part.

What advice do you have for people just getting started on their fundraising initiatives?

Be realistic with your expectations and reach out to as many people as possible, especially good friends and colleagues. And then believe in yourself and train hard.

How have you been training to run the half marathon and how is it going so far? What are your biggest challenges when training and how do you overcome them?

You must have a general plan on how you wish to build up your fitness and have discipline in your training regime. Though you should not overdo it, you have to try and push the limits so that you know your own personal threshold and be able to train safely.

As you know, running is a very lonely sport and many of us run by ourselves. So we talk to ourselves and to our bodies, so that we know how to push ourselves and how to hold back in order to train safely.

What are your future plans with regard to charity fundraising?

I will continue to do what i can to help, so long as I am physically able to do so.

Teik Chai’s personal story reminds us of the importance of perseverance. Whether it is about convincing people of your cause and reaching out to friends to support you or getting your body and mind ready for a marathon, hard work is key. His determination and commitment to a cause close to his heart is an inspiration to us all.

This year, Teik Chai is participating in the Standard Chartered Half Marathon again and you can check out his fundraising page to support his cause.

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Kidney Dialysis Foundation’s 1000km Bike Ride Closing Ceremony and 20th Anniversary

This week, GIVE.asia spent some time at the Kidney Dialysis Foundation’s (KDF) annual 1000km bike ride closing ceremony. It was also the 20th anniversary of the charity. This event is in it’s third year and has grown exponentially. This year saw 60 cyclists cycle through rural Malaysia and end in Singapore. Because of the bad weather on the last day, the cyclists cycled straight to the closing ceremony!

Guests of honor included The Minister of Health and the event saw many people gather to celebrate not only the epic cycle ride the cyclists had accomplished, but also to celebrate the 20th anniversary of KDF.

The cyclists had to endure tough conditions, small amounts of sleep and personal endurance to see themselves through to the end and it was all in aid of KDF and the work they are doing.

KDF was established in 1996 and they work towards ensuring no patients are untreated due to the lack of funds needed for dialysis treatment. The treatment costs around SGD$25,000, which any needy patients struggle to pay. Kidney disease is incurable but treatable and with the help of KDF, the people fundraising for events like the 1000km bike ride and donors alike, we can ensure that people are getting the treatment they need. 

GIVE.asia was honored to be invited along to this wonderful event, and honored to have been the platform used to raise funds. 

Thank you, KDF! Here’s to the next twenty years.

If you would like to use GIVE.asia for your next fundraising event, just send an e-mail to support@giveasia.org and we can discuss how we can work together to ensure you have the the most successful event ever.

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Featuring Linear Dots Production’s Post-Christmas Charity Drive: Honouring Our Community’s Unsung Heroes

In four exhilarating years, Linear Dots Production, a ground-breaking events agency that delivers experiences and results for brands, have tasted immense success. Despite being a young company, LDP has worked with leading brands such as DBS and Audi, earning admirable respect and reputation.

Even with fingers in the economic pie, LDP stands grounded in a common belief - a philanthropic nature to give back to society.

Joewin Tan, the founder of LDP, has the clear-headed, forward-thinking mind of a leading entrepreneur. But Joewin is more than that; she is a community leader. Instilling a sense of social responsibility in the company, Joewin makes sure LDP participates actively to help the less fortunate.

From charitable drives such as Love on Wheels Charity Drive 2013 to a sponsorship for MILK Charity Gala Dinner to mentoring in the Global Youth Summit 2014, LDP makes sure its heart is set in the right place.

Since 2014, LDP has started its very own Christmas charity drive to heighten the spirit of giving. This 2-year-old drive benefits the cleaners in Singapore's hawker centers who work tirelessly to keep our indigenous food culture strong and sustainable.

These Community Unsung Heroes have worked behind the scenes to make sure that our daily hawker center environment - which we take for granted - are kept clean and cosy. From clearing our dirty dishes to making sure our tables and chairs are clean just in time for the rush hours, how many of us have actually gone up to these people to thank them?

LDP makes sure our unsung heroes get their due credit by raising funds for them for their basic needs, thanking them for all their hard work and dedication to our community. But, for LDP to raise enough funds for the many cleaners in Singapore, the team members require more funds than they can manage on their own.

Through GIVEasia, LDP opened its doors to the public, seeking everyone's participation to bring some joy to our cleaners. In a matter of 3 weeks, the funds raised through GIVE had multiplied to $2,600, ending the fundraising efforts successfully.

In a conversation with Joewin, she leaves us with a handy advice: "small acts, when multiplied by many people, can change the world; no initiative is too small, as long as it benefits the community".

LDP is a bright lamp in our society today, an encouraging role model to any SMEs starting out and drawing more companies and individuals to follow its example. LDP's dedication is an inspiring portrait of how far Singapore can soar, with the support of the public.

To find out more about LDP and their adventurous work, visit their homepage and Facebook page here!

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Featuring Aii’s story: Where the heart lies

When Aii started out as a candy corporate gifts business back in 2011, it did not realize that it will hit the big S for Success. Featured in various media channels such as The Straits Times, The Business Times and CNA (to name a few), just what exactly makes Aii shines above the rest?

For one, Aii consists of hearing impaired team members. Together, they organize and provide top-notch services to companies and individuals with overseas dealings by managing exquisite Singapore-styled gifts for overseas partners and/or clients.

Aii lives up to its name by standing by their core value of bringing love to the world by supporting many community-based projects such as "Cookies WAH!". Hiring the physically and mentally disabled to bake cookies, the project will ensure that 10% of the profits raised from selling cookies will go to underprivileged children.

Cookies baked for 2015′s Christmas! Pre-order them for CNY next year!

The good work done in Aii is endless. It all started when Leona Leong, the founder of Aii, courageously invested a mere $2000 into the project she believes in. Through sheer hard work, her company managed to boom successfully in just a span of 4 years!

After a year-long hiatus, Aii is coming back in 2016. With burning enthusiasm, Leona believes Aii will hit the world bigger and better. In their upcoming launch, the team will be opening their doors to other disabilities to join their team. After all, Aii is hoping to grow as a community that can share hope and love with the people they meet.

2015’s Valentine’s Day started off meaningfully with Fabric Heart Key Ring Workshop to raise funds for special needs individuals

However, it is often difficult to match enthusiasm with the dire financial reality. Aii is first and foremost a social enterprise. It relies heavily on the goodwill of the community to provide funding for the company to be sustainable.

GIVEasia - a non-profit crowd-funding platform - was able to throw a lifeline just as Leona was fundraising for children with special needs. GIVE is always on the look-out for passionate fundraisers and is eager to work with them as best as it can.

At the moment, GIVE and Aii are working together to spread the good word about Aii's social enterprise. Inspired to join us on our journey to give a little back to the community? Here are some ways that you can get involved in to bring Aii to life:

1.       Donate to Aii's cause, of course! Simply head to their fundraising page to donate: https://give.asia/movement/a_brand_new_aii_and_the_projects_we_support

2.       Support the enterprise: whether it is ordering small gifts from Aii or spreading the word about Aii, it takes a little effort to bring forth an important impact!

3.       Check out their Facebook page (www.FB.com/aii.sg) for updates and other ways that you can help!

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Featuring Swami’s call to alleviate Chennai’s floods

Earthquakes. Floods. Droughts. How many times have we heard of natural disasters striking different parts of the world that we are no longer shocked by their killing blows?

Even as the cries of these victims rise to the air, the world suffers from an even deadlier blow. It is apathy that is killing everyone of us bit by bit, from within.

Rarely do we hear the news reporting on the floods that have been doing unfathomable damage to Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Rarely do we hear of heart-warming flood-survivors' stories being circulated around the Internet.

Well, if you have not heard much of what has been going on in India, here is the gist of it: According to analysts, exceptionally strong El Nino effects, along with a rare "coincidence of various factors", have resulted in heavy rains in and around Chennai.

In November, Chennai recorded a whopping 1218.6 mm of rain – 3 times its monthly rainfall!. 1st December marked the wettest December day in more than 100 years of record keeping! Till date, Chennai has been officially declared a disaster area.

The deadlier disasters that have befallen on India the past years have led to the formation of a Giving Circle called Focus India Forum (FIF). FIF brings together several NGOs that are focused on offering relief, redevelopment, sanitation aid etc.

Therefore, to combat the latest flood incidents, FIF are calling for donations that can be used for immediate relief and long-term solutions. The floods have taken lives, damaged properties and robbed the people of livelihood (particularly the population from the lower strata of society).

What is most needed for the city to start on its long road to recovery are funds that can support health and sanitation facilities, food and clothing supplies and shelter. These funds can only be raised with the help of global citizens who have the heart for these victims, who are mostly disheartened by their wrecked lives.

 GIVEasia comes in handy as an effective moderator by offering a platform that is easily accessible. Many people are often deterred by the many cumbersome crowd-funding online platforms. GIVE is a rare gem that does away with all the irrelevant inconveniences. As a result, funds can be raised during critical situations when donations are literally life-giving.

So, hesitate no longer, and join us on the journey toward changing (or at the very least, improving) the world bit by bit.

Head to https://give.asia/movement/chennai_rains_post_relief_support to bring a spark of hope to Chennai and Tamil Nadu this Christmas Giving season. 

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Featuring Hakim’s heartfelt fundraising efforts for dad’s surgery

Nothing grieves the heart more than seeing a family member at the brink of downfall. The heart goes through extra torment, especially when one is helplessly tied down by constraints from all sides.

Abdul Hakim experiences this anguish, first-hand. At age 27, Hakim is the eldest of his 2 other siblings and works tirelessly as an airline Cabin Crew to support his family. The close-knitted family took a hard hit when Hakim's father, a lift technician, came home with the news that he is suffering from multiple medical conditions.

Fig. 1: A time from the past when the family was well and in-good-hands

From heart problems to diabetes to high blood pressure, the continuous slaps of illnesses have caused Hakim's father to weaken tremendously. His usually-bulky body has started to shrink and he suffers from repeated backaches.

Nonetheless, Hakim's father maintains his optimism and admirable courage. He says that "as long as I have all my legs and arms, I will work for the family".

However, Hakim does not want him to suffer, especially when his hardworking father has to work even when the whole family is already sound asleep!

Hakim's father is in desperate need for an operation to remedy his heart problems. To date, the operation costs, hospital accommodation and other medical expenses amount to a staggering cost of $12,000!

Despite forking out his salary to foot the bills and looking to friends and relatives for help, his efforts are not enough. His personal bills have to be put on hold to pay for his father's medical bills, resulting in him having to pay late charges. His close circle of friends and relatives have not been able to alleviate the rising costs too.

The rising financial strain on Hakim's family stretches the family members to breaking point, destroying them emotionally and mentally.

However, Hakim reveals his relentless resilience by sourcing for all possible routes that can help keep his family afloat. Through GIVEasia, he hopes that he can garner the support of the public. His optimism is apparent when he states that there are "goodhearted people out there who can help out my family in this time of need".

His love for his family cannot be more obvious and more beautiful when he emphasises that "I just want my dad to be healthy and happy... I want to go to work and not burst into tears whenever I think about it."

Hakim has humbled us by showing us - in action - just what it means to be part of a family. For "family means no one gets left behind or forgotten". Join us in supporting Hakim by clicking on this link: https://give.asia/movement/help_my_dad_for_his_heart_operation

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Featuring Amanda Jacob’s selfless outreach to the Barangay Tunasan community in the Philippines

Supermum, Amanda Griffin-Jacob, does not just have to run a household and bring up her three young children. But, Amanda is also the successful founder of glamomamas.com, a parenting website. 

In fact, she surpasses most capable women with her generous heart by carving out pockets of precious time to build a personal charity outreach program.

Together with her mother-in-law, Rose Jacob, the two women have been serving numerous impoverished Filipino communities for the past 15 years. Rose Jacob has driven around poverty-ridden vicinities to analyse the socio-economic circumstances and find ways to help those who need her help the most.

This year, Amanda is supporting the Barangay Tunasan community. Consisting of 500 families, the Jacobs state that the community is the “worst-off that they have seen”. 

During this Christmas season, the Jacobs will be holding a special party for the 450 children in the Barangay Tunasan community. This will be a rare opportunity for the children to experience the Christmas spirit and receive the love and care that they are so deserving of. 

The Jacobs' long-standing community work exemplifies the epitome of humility. Disregarding personal glory and comfort, the Jacobs go out of their way to reach out to families in need of food and sanitary resources.

However, a 2-woman team cannot help communities on their own. The need to rely on external donations to fund their cause puts a huge strain on them. The Jacobs are planning to provide food packages for each family that cost $15-$20. These food packages can last a family of 5 for up to 1 week. 500 food packages are expected to be sent out. After careful calculations, it is not surprising that the resources are hefty. 

Therefore, when a friend recommended GIVEasia as an easy way to consolidate donations for their cause, it was a true blessing for them.

So far, GIVE has united donors around the world who support the Jacobs' heart for the poor, and has raised more than $3000.

With the money that has been raised, food packages can be sent to these communities. In the coming years, Amanda has confidence that she will put into action sustainable plans to bring people out of their poverty cycle. What greater purpose and fulfilment is there in life than to bring joy and love to the people around us!

As we ended the interview, we asked Amanda to share with fellow fundraisers ways to bring people toward a cause. Her response was simple but brilliant. "Keep sharing", she says.

 Yes, often, we forget the value of sharing. In sharing, we forge relationships and kindle love, the essence of life.

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#GivingTuesday: Relearning what love means in this day and age

What is #GivingTuesday?

The idea for #GivingTuesday was born in 2012 in response to rising global commercialization and consumerism.

On Dec 1 2015, the world comes together to celebrate a day of generous and genuine love. This is a pure-hearted giving that transcends all boundaries, whether physical, social or political.

United, we aim to multiply joy, alleviate suffering and celebrate the essence of life.

What you can do in GIVEasia:

1. Explore our blog! Till date, we have posted numerous heart-warming features of fundraising efforts. Read our stories to find out what truly inspires you.

2. Explore our website! Search for causes that you are passionate in on our ultra-accessible crowd-funding platform! 

3. Drum-rolls please! Join us on our new adventure by being part of The Giving Club today! 

Through periodic (monthly) donations to various causes, concrete and exponential impacts can be made to the causes you believe in.

Oh, the collective impact you can make!

Statistics taken from givingtuesday.org to show how you can be part of a global community!

Be part of this grand movement now!

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Featuring Mental Muscle’s 250km run in Namibia Desert for Mentally-Ill Patients

How often have we heard of peers amongst us declaring their sympathies for the less privileged and posting pictures to show what they have done to 'help' through Community Involvement Projects (CIP)? It is easy to merely offer 2-3 hours every few months participating in a non-profit organisation to express one's 'generosity' and 'compassion' for others. 

However, 4 undergraduate medical students from the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, have decided to take that step of genuine commitment; in 2016, our quartet - Nicholas Eu, Jonathan See, Stephen Hwang and Jon Tan - have pledged to run 250km in the Namibia Desert in order to raise funds to help the community of people with mental illnesses.

It is unsurprising that many of us have misconceptions about mental illnesses. There is often a huge stigma against psychiatric patients and they are inevitably pushed into social isolation. Yet, after having the opportunity to interact with patients they have met in clinics and wards, the quartet is inspired to help coax these patients back into society's embrace.

In an interview with Jonathan See, he says that "psychiatric patients are unlike what is portrayed in films or traditional media. Most of the time, they are an average person... But constantly find themselves hiding their disease, for fear of being ostracised". It is no wonder that the friends have aptly decided to call themselves Mental Muscle to symbolize their respect for the mental strength they have witnessed in psychiatric patients.

Running in the Namib Desert will be no easy task, however. Their decision to raise S$50,000 for the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH)  through their race is a daunting sum. To boost their fundraising efforts, they have been trying all means to promote their efforts. Unfortunately, the response has not been good. 

The pressure on them intensifies as they juggle fundraising efforts with their training practices and medical studies. Nonetheless, Mental Muscle is proving its worth by relentlessly pursuing its passions and beliefs.

Having contacted leading local athlete Mok Ying Ren, Mental Muscle is undergoing a rigorous training programme customized specifically for their race. According to the team members, training has been very taxing, but mutual encouragement and support from loved ones have been an important source of energy that kept that going.

GIVEasia is giving Mental Muscle our full support and we are very humbled to be working with people whose pure-hearted dreams and pursuits constantly encourage us to serve more people from all walks of life. When ask how members of the public can do our part to serve this marginalized community, Jonathan suggests that "Understanding [the patients'] disease, eradicating our irrational fears towards them, and reaching out to them are among some very important ways we can help."

Let us do our utmost to support Mental Muscle who is willing to give its sweat and tears to help this silenced group of people that we often turn a blind eye to. To make a worthy contribution, head to their fundraising page: https://give.asia/movement/mental_muscle_sahara_race_namibia_2016. If you wish for regular updates on Mental Muscle's progress, do not hesitate to visit them on  Facebook (fb.com/mentalmuscle) or Instagram (instagram.com/mental.muscle)

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Featuring Jeremy Tong’s Everest for Cancer 2017

With an impressive 11-year mountain-climbing experience under his belt, NTU undergraduate Jeremy Tong has his eyes set for even greater heights. From now till 2017, Jeremy plans to climb 3 mountains, ranging from Mt. Aconcagua in Argentia to Cho Oyu in Tibet and finally the pinnacle of all mountaineers' aspirations, the Mt. Everest.

Even as Jeremy heads out into the world to conquer these perilous heights, he is grounded with a well of compassion for the underprivileged. When he received news that his uncle suffered from nose cancer, it struck too close to home. However, instead of bemoaning this tragedy, Jeremy was inspired to defy the limitations of cancer and embrace all of life's wonderful opportunities.

Climbing Mt. Everest, Jeremy says, will symbolize man's will to endure through life's hardships. At a height of 8000m, one enters the "death zone". Since there is so little oxygen, the body literally eats itself, sapping nutrients from the body's muscles and fats. It is no question that Jeremy's unwavering willpower will be put to the test in this much-anticipated climb.

Despite bad weather, Jeremy reached Kyrgyzstan’s 7134m Lenin Peak. He was the 2nd Singaporean to stand on the summit.

In this climb, Jeremy plans to raise $20,000 to help fund the medical treatments under the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS). This is no easy feat and this is where GIVEasia comes in.

While scrolling through SCS's website, Jeremy came across GIVEasia that offers SCS a platform to receive much-needed financial contributions from the public. Till date, SCS has raised a total of $118,378.21 through GIVE. The immense amount of donations is only made possible through the generous hearts of the public. GIVE continues to bring to the people innovative and highly accessible avenues for everyone to play an important role to improve our societies.

As we wrap up our conversation with Jeremy, our admiration for him grows when he earnestly remarks that, he has intentions go "complete the 7 summits of the world and ski to the poles in 2018". With great humility, he tells us that he hopes to continue raising awareness for cancer through his expeditions.

Stok Kangri of the Indian Himalayas. Reached the summit after a 6123m climb!

Join GIVEasia in supporting and celebrating Jeremy's courageous dreams and enduring heart. Visit his fundraising page at https://give.asia/movement/everest_for_cancer_2017 to find out more.

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Featuring Paviter Singh’s Running for a Cause

By day, Paviter Singh works as an accomplished partnership developer for Hyper Island, swerving across time-zones to secure key alliances for his company. By night, unlike the common-man, he does not drag his feet home to rest. Instead, Paviter, an ultramarathon runner, resolutely and earnestly trains every night for the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon in Dec this year.  

 A typical training week is no small feat. It constitutes sprints, long runs, yoga classes... The list goes on. His rigorous regime stems from his belief to always live outside his comfort zone. In a refreshing and humble conversation with Paviter, he comments that he had taken part in many gruelling races and "every experience has new learnings... I am a keen believer in lifelong learning".

Yet, what won our hearts was the core compassion that Paviter has for society. Paviter does not merely run to fulfil his ambitions. He runs to raise money for the Singapore Autism Association and Sikh Welfare Society. "I have an attachment to these organisations", he explains. "I have close friends who are autistic. Autism is not a disease and needs more awareness in our society today. As a Sikh, I feel the responsibility to give back to my community and help those in need."

 Till date, GIVEasia has given Paviter a platform to fulfil both dreams. In 2013, Paviter partnered with GIVE through the Going the Extra Mile movement under Singapore Cancer Society's Charity Athletes GIVE back. His supporters in the GIVE community donated an impressive $3840 to his cause. For this year's Standard Chartered Marathon, his loyal supporters are already actively doing their part to stand by him and the collective causes they believe in.

Paviter is an inspiring role model for everyone: in spite of the stressful nature of his work, he manages to find time to honor life and its great wonder. In his concluding thoughts, Paviter expresses the beauty of running in ultramarathons, "we get to run in places which are extremely remote... To spend hours in solitude moving and thinking in the midst of an empty landscape give me a sense of peace and allow me to contemplate life in a very different way."

 To join Paviter in his cause, head to his fundraising page at https://give.asia/movement/running_for_a_cause_4

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Featuring The Road to Rio 2016

Like most aspiring young adults, 21 year-old Widaad Gukhool, has big dreams. But our Mauritian Mechanical Engineering undergraduate is a rare gem who pursues the unbeaten path. In February 2016, Widaad is determined to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as a Table Tennis player.

Even as she trains tirelessly to qualify for the tournament, she struggles with immense financial burdens that come with professional competitions. From training to equipment to travel planning, Widaad struggles to rise above the sea of high costs and debt.

In the next 3 months, Widaad plans to participate in a training camp and an Open Pro Tour that will allow her to maximize her potential. Her diligence and sheer determination are starting to pay off when she realizes that her breakthrough is just round the corner.

When Widaad first partnered with GIVEasia, she poured her heart-felt dream into her fund-raising page. She says that "I've not done this sport for the money, but for the love."

Widaad is extremely grateful to all her donors and she has lined up surprise and thoughtful gifts for her supporters. For example, a $50 donation will be gratefully reciprocated with a personalized postcard from Widaad herself! Her upmost sincerity and dedication to her art is one of the reasons why she is a treasured member of GIVEasia.

To join us in fulfilling Widaad's courageous aspiration, simply access the link below to be a change-maker!

https://give.asia/movement/road_to_rio_2016

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Behind the scenes at GIVEasia: Yu Ming and his contributions.

Yu Ming and Aseem co-founded GIVEasia back in 2009. They met at college whilst studying for their A-levels and both ended up studying Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore. 

“It started with wanting to do something more exciting than getting a job after college and we [quickly] realized that the charity sector was prime for tech disruption.”

After chatting about it and researching it and chatting and researching some more, it became increasingly clear that this was a sustainable and successful idea. Yu Ming tells me that the absolute decider for starting GIVEasia was this talk.

Yu Ming’s role within GIVEasia is hard to pin point. His primary role is Operations but he says “really, I’m more like the Janitor.” He is the guy who will fix any problems and make sure that everything is running smoothly. He also helps Aseem out with recruiting, sales and fundraising and can occasionally be found coding. It is without a doubt that Yu Ming is a fundamental part of the running of GIVEasia.

We ask him what he is most proud of so far;

“I’m very proud of what GIVEasia is today, not because [we] started it but because along the way we met tons of people that add their special touch to it. GIVEasia is a collage of all the magic from everyone.”

It is clear to see that GIVEasia has come from a heartfelt place. Everywhere you look on the site, there will have been a contribution or suggestion from one of the volunteer team, which has made it into what it is now. The creation process is fascinating.

“Why is the site so pink? Because of Kota. Why is it coded in Ruby? Because of Tanin. Why do we have that pink teddy bear in a hot air balloon as the default banner? Because of Gia.”

Yu Ming has an irregular work schedule. He tells me that he can often go two days without sleeping and that he likes to stay up and work past midnight as that is when he is most focussed and least interrupted.

Something that strikes me about Yu Ming is his clear and unquestionable passion for GIVEasia and the work he is doing. 

“I just like doing things that matter.”

This is part of a series of posts that are following the lives of the GIVEasia contributors where you can find out how they got involved, why they got involved and what they do behind the scenes to make GIVEasia keep on giving.

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Behind the scenes at GIVEasia: Gia on being a developer

When Aseem spoke at Gia’s school about GIVEasia, Gia decided he wanted to get involved. Aseem said that he needed help developing the idea and so Gia started to work on some simple designs.

“Now I focus on how the website looks and I spend about one to two hours per day working on it. Longer on the weekends.”

Alongside his extensive work for GIVEasia, Gia is also in his final year of university and is studying Electrical Engineering. 

“My typical day would be going to my labs every day to work on my research. I don’t have a fixed timing for GIVE but when I need to switch off my mind to my research I work on GIVE.”

Gia says that he prefers to work behind the scenes and loves the dynamic of the GIVEasia team. 

“There is a core team of volunteers who have very similar values.”

The process of producing a new design for the website is interesting. Gia tells us that any one of the team may come with a new design idea, or an idea to make a tweak to an aspect of the website. They will then let Danny (the designer) know what their idea is. He will make a mock up and it will then be passed on to Gia or one of the other developers to create. 

“We worked on the new website for around a year.”

When Gia is not working towards his degree or on the website for GIVEasia, he likes to read, run and paint. We asked him what his passion is;

“I am wary of the word passion because the definition is too broad. To me, something that I am passionate about is something that I work on habitually every day.”

Although he is wary of the word, it is clear that Gia has a passion for the work he is doing for GIVEasia. It is likeminded people like him who make up the successful behind the scenes team who help keep GIVEasia running.

This is a part of a series of posts that is following the lives of the GIVEasia contributors where you can find out how they got involved, why they got involved and what they do behind the scenes to make GIVEasia keep on giving.

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5 ways you can fundraise this year

As the year draws to a close we thought we would give you a little list of the ways that you can get fundraising before it’s over...

1. Run a Marathon

Are you up to the challenge? With just a few more days left to sign up to the Standard Chartered marathon you better get a move on and register if you want to truly test yourself and raise some serious funds for a cause that you champion. Here are a few more upcoming marathons for you to tackle or go along and support:

31st October: Bounce off 2015, 9am at Sentosa

1st November: Great Eastern Women’s Run 2015, 5am at The Float @ Marina Bay

14th November: Reindeer Walk-A-Wheelathon 2015, 3pm at Marina Bay

29th November: Swissotel Vertical Marathon 2015, 6:30am at Swissotel

2. Abseiling

Now this one is not for the faint-hearted. If you’re into extreme sports and want to really get your heart racing at the same time as raising money for a great cause then set a date, set a target, choose a charity and get started on your fundraising mission.

3. Cycling

With charity cycling events popping up all over the place this could be the perfect way of making the world a better place. Find an event that suits you and get involved!

4. Hold a Bake Sale

The inhabitants of this island sure know how to eat. And whether you are working, studying or staying at home you can organize a bake sale anywhere, any time. All you need to do is tell people when it’s on, what it’s for and what to do and watch the money you make go up as you eat cake! Satisfying your sweet tooth at the same time as doing a good cause - sounds pretty sweet to us.

5. Get dressed up silly and run a race!

Everyone likes a silly costume so why don’t you try and come up with the most stand out costume you can and sign up to a walk or run. We want to see the funkiest costumes ever! Remember to take pictures so your beneficiaries can have a good giggle too. To help you get started here are a list of upcoming events to consider:

15th November: Power Over Women’s Cancer Run/Walk 2015, 7am at East Coast Park

28th November: Santa Runs for Wishes 2015, 5pm at Sentosa

19th December: National Play Day Stroller Walk 2015, 8am at Singapore Sports Hub

31st December: Bubble Glow 5km Run 2015, 6pm at Siloso Beach Sentosa

So there you have it! Now all you need is to take the first step: find a beneficiary. And with this article you won’t even need to think too hard about how you will raise funds. Visit GIVEasia to find out how to set up a fundraising page to benefit the beneficiary of your choice.

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Behind the scenes at GIVEasia: Aseem on how it started

It was back in 2008 that Aseem came up with the idea for GIVEasia.

“I was on an exchange program in San Francisco and helped out with a fundraiser building homes for the homeless. It was meaningful and inspiring.”

So when he came back to Singapore in the middle of 2008, he began his quest to find out how he could really make a difference. He and Yu Ming spent the next few months organising meet ups with hundreds of charities around the country to garner some feedback and support for the idea, where they found massive positivity from the charities they spoke to.

At this time, Aseem was studying Mechanical Engineering but as he met with more and more charities, he became more and more busy and began to skip his classes. 

“There was one class that I did go to every week which was in the evening and I just went there to sleep. My professor came to me and said ‘Aseem, why do you keep falling asleep in my classes? Is it that they are boring?’ So I decided to share my idea with him and he was very interested and said that he wanted to help.”

Aseem and Yu Ming spent three months trying to build the website but found it extremely difficult. They worked out that they would need $20,000 in order to sufficiently invest in it. In the meantime Aseem was keeping his professor up to date with the progress of GIVEasia. What Aseem really didn’t expect to happen next was for his professor to call him to his desk and give him a cheque for $20,000.

“At first I thought it was some kind of prank and that the cheque would bounce or something, but then it didn’t.”

It was just what they needed to get the website off the ground.

So what is the first lesson that Aseem learnt?

“You can ask for help. Let people help you, there are amazing people who will support your idea.”

In the first year $250,000 was raised through the GIVEasia platform. Now, five years on, GIVEasia has helped charities and individuals alike raise over $7.5 million.

So what we really want to know is what drives Aseem, what his passions are and why he does it?

“My passion is to improve things... I want to improve peoples lives.”

And that is most certainly what he and the rest of the GIVEasia team are doing.

This is the beginning of a series of posts that will follow the lives of the GIVEasia contributors. You will be able to find out how they got involved, why they got involved and what they do behind the scenes to make GIVEasia keep on giving.

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GIVE’s PACT Incubator Journey

GIVEasia signed up for PACT Incubator in mid-June along with 10 other exciting social enterprises. PACT Incubator was a 4-month programme that focused 100% on the solution-market fit and the investment-readiness of the enterprise. October 16th 2015 was the demo day and we were fortunate to be chosen as the winner.

We are fortunate to have met amazing social enterprises who were part of PACT Incubator. Here’s a shout out for them:

Billion Bricks helps the homeless through architecture and urban design.

Conjunct Consulting connects skilled volunteers in Singapore to the social good organizations (SGOs) who need their help.

Dosta provides low cost and unlimited 24/7 WiFi connection to mitigate this problem.

Impact Guru is an online crowdfunding and fundraising SaaS platform that empowers anyone to give to nonprofits (NGOs) in India while linking Facebook posts to social impact.

Matcha5 connects the consumer directly to the disadvantaged artisan vendor, to allow higher margins to go back to them and their communities.

Nest8 empowers income users on the path to financial independence.

Saltsteps is a social enterprise that seeks to improve the standard and quality of living of the marginalized communities and the “sandwiched” population in Singapore through the provision of household necessities at a subsidized rate.

Skillseed organizes themed social impact courses to equip Singapore’s youths with the right mind-set, attitude and skills to be effective skilled volunteers for our social sector.

Society Staples builds bridges of inclusion by creating and inspiring conversations through team building programs and inclusive sports initiatives for an inclusive Singapore.

Soundeye is a personal emergency response system that detects falls and reduces efforts of caregivers and increases productivity of Voluntary Welfare Organizations monitoring elderly.

During the PACT Incubator, we had an opportunity to learn from some amazing mentors like:

Justin Hall from Golden Gate Ventures who shared his insights related to raising capital in Asia. During his session, we did a 2 minutes pitch and Justin gave some really good feedback which helped us improve our pitch.

Stu Garrow from MuleSoft did a workshop on value proposition and it helped us make all our communication about customer benefits. We also learned from him about the art of positioning and negotiation.

En Lee from LGT Venture Philanthropy did a workshop on investing in social enterprises which was very informative. In addition, we also had a chat about why social entrepreneurs do what they do. Connecting with our true purpose allows us to be intentional and gets us going when the going gets touch. Thanks En Lee for giving us all a reminder to connect with our core.

Grace Sai from Hub Singapore shared some really useful frameworks related to platform thinking. Grace shared the BRINK model which stands for Brand, Revenue, Impact, Networks and Knowledge. These are the different components of any social capital exchange and it’s a good idea to always use BRINK model to figure out what you want to get and give.

Neel Banerjee from the Engage Alliance shared with us great tools for the customer discovery and design phase. He also helped us think more deeply about out user journeys and how to put ourselves into the shoes of our users.

Anisha Kaul  helped the teams refine their vision, mission and values which is the foundation piece for all enterprises.

The demo day involved all the 11 teams pitching for 7 minutes each followed by 3 minutes of Q&A sessions. GIVEasia was judged as the winner by the 4 judges and awarded a funding of SGD 15,000. This funding will help us with our product development plans as we continue to build better tools for charities to help them retain their donors more effectively.

We are really grateful to Divya Patel (Head of Incubation & Mentoring Programs), Germaine Inez Tan (Portfolio Manager, Incubation) and Lim Chee Yong (Associate, Incubation & Events) for putting together this transformative 4-month programme that has definitely propelled GIVEasia on a higher growth trajectory. Thanks HUB Singapore!

P.S. Anisha shared a beautiful poem by Rudyard Kipling in her session which will always be a source of inspiration for me. According to wikipedia, "If—“ is a poem by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, written in 1895 and first published in Rewards and Fairies, 1910. It is a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. The poem is written in the form of paternal advice to the poet’s son, John. As poetry, "If—” is a literary example of Victorian-era stoicism. John was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. The well-known Indian historian and writerKhushwant Singh claims that Kipling’s “If—” is “the essence of the message of The Gita in English.”

Here's the video of the poem being recited by Sir Michael Caine: