Change

Little is enough to do much.

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Change

“Many small people who in many small places do many small things can alter the face of the world” - African proverb

Change is a platform composed by two linked services - a website and a mobile app - that provide a way to easily donate spare change from purchases to support or crowdfund businesses, solidarity projects, hospitals, medical equipment and whoever needs it the most.

The issue

The current pandemics is a real human tragedy. It is not only the health of thousands of people that is at risk, but also the very structure of our own economy. National and International Organisations, governments, and the whole civil society are facing challenges without precedents. Protecting lives and livelihoods is a priority - and yet, Covid-19 is threatening businesses across the globe, and all of us.

The most distinctive characteristic of this crisis is its entity. Families, communities, and whole nations are now obliged to practice social distancing, and to stay at home. But the interruption of productive activities affects the whole economic chain, from production to consumption. The damage is tangible already: the Chinese manufacturing index and fixed investments are already declining by 30% compared to December 2019. Stock markets are collapsing, and the FTSE 100 index lost one third of its value in the last two months. Finally, the BCE foresees the PIL of the Euro are, for this year, to decrease by 4%.

And yet, we do not stand in this crisis alone. To survive, we must be resilient. Our acts of solidarity, our ways of sharing, the support we are providing, and the links we are creating are sparking a light in these dark times.

Our solution

We envisioned Change: a platform composed by a Website and an iOS and Android mobile App that allows anybody to easily and automatically transfer spare change from any digital transaction.

Every time you make a purchase, Change rounds up the cost of your transaction to the nearest euro unit, within the extent of your choice.

Imagine something as simple as buying a bonsai (25,80€) to lighten up your place, or sending some flowers (15,70€) to a loved one. For each of these goods, cents or euros are moved to your pool. If you wish to do more, simply deposit a lump sum - or set up recurring payments. Then, simply link your harvested resources to the causes you heart the most and that you believe will have the greatest impact in this historical moment and beyond. It may seem like small amounts, but it’s many small actions made everywhere that truly make the difference.

Given the circumstances we are in, practicing social distancing is fighting a war, and staying inside is an act of courage. With Change we can go further, having an active part in the process of facing adversities with disarming simplicity. Choose, support, and receive updates. Are you going to join this fight?

Our Beneficiaries

From big NGOs to hospitals, from solidarity projects to the corner shop, Change can be used to crowdfund anyone’s needs. In these days we had the chance to hear from one of the categories most affected by the pandemics: doctors, nurses and health workers. Some members of Team Rise are integral part of the fabric of this very category and had the possibility to consult with heads of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories about the benefits of our idea. Now that every euro matters and finances are spent on unforeseeable and unpredictable issues, even crowdfunding a single medical unit could increase their working conditions and their efficiency in a considerable way.

At the same time, Change is aimed to the small businesses that in this very moment are facing financial distress. Let’s think about a barbershop or that little restaurant you love down the street, how could a service have a positive impact on their future?

According to our research, an average person makes 10 to 20 transactions per week. Consider this: 8.175 people are participating to the EUvsVirus. This means that, just in the 4 days of the Hackathon, we could have raised as much as 45.000 euros: this translates in 3 ventilators for an hospital, almost 300 Covid tests and a significant boost to a small/medium enterprise.

Our Values

Our solution allows to target the needs of our users thanks to three main features.

  1. It’s easy. 
Just set up Change the first time around, and you won’t have to keep anything else in mind. Change slims down the donation process to make it inconvenience-free. A carefully designed User Experience and User Interface completes the project, to make it easy and accessible to everyone.

  2. No extra expenses. You don’t have to renounce to any huge sums to be part of the change. The spare cents from your everyday purchases are a small investment from your side, but gathered together, can make a huge difference.

  3. Transparency. When you choose Change as a platform for your donations, you choose to stay updated about where your money is going. You can check in on your donations anytime, and receive news about what results have been reached with your funds.

#JoinTheChange

If we want to effectively tackle the challenges we are facing it is essential now, more than ever, for everyone to do their part. We firmly believe that we must be driven by solidarity. Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts: do yours, and no one will be left behind.

To take a leap towards the future, together. Change.

Change Roadmap

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