sharity.

Sharity - Landing Page
Sharity - Image Recognition Page
Sharity - Organization Match Page
Donation Request Page

Inspiration

Our team came together with a shared passion for giving back to our community. Through our discussions, we identified a significant problem: the lack of a centralized platform that makes it easy for people to find local charities, food banks, and other organizations to support. Moreover, we realized that there is no convenient way for donors to know what specific items or resources these organizations currently need. We have personally experienced the frustration of having our donations rejected because they were not needed at the time. This is where our idea for Sharity was born.

What is Sharity?

Sharity is an online platform that aims to connect donors with local charities, food banks, and non-profit organizations in their community. It provides a centralized database where users can easily search for and find organizations to support, while also offering up-to-date information on the specific items and resources these organizations currently need.

Moreover, Sharity features an AI object recognition feature that revolutionizes the way users create donation lists. By simply uploading images of the items they wish to donate, our AI system automatically identifies and categorizes each item, generating a comprehensive donation list in a matter of seconds. This list is then seamlessly matched with local organizations that have expressed a need for those specific items, ensuring that donations are directed to where they will have the greatest impact. This not only simplifies the giving process but also empowers users to make a tangible difference in their community by providing them with the tools to donate smarter.

By removing the barriers to giving and connecting donors directly with the organizations that need their support, Sharity is poised to transform the landscape of local philanthropy and inspire a new generation of engaged, compassionate citizens.

How we built it

Before diving into development, we carefully considered the technologies and tools that would be essential to bring our project to life. After extensive research and discussion, we settled on the following robust tech stack:

Frontend

Typescript
Next.js
Tailwind CSS
Shadcn/UI
Framer Motion
Mapbox

Backend

Firebase
Google Vision

With our tech stack finalized, we proceeded to design our website using Figma. We began by creating low-fidelity wireframes and prototypes to establish the overall layout and user flow of each page. This allowed us to iterate quickly and gather feedback from potential users. Once we had a solid foundation, we refined our designs, crafting a visually appealing and intuitive user interface that aligns with our brand identity and mission.

As we transitioned into the development phase, we adopted an agile methodology to ensure efficient collaboration and continuous improvement. Our team organized meetings to discuss progress, address challenges, and align our efforts. We leveraged Git and GitHub for version control, enabling seamless collaboration and tracking of code changes.

Throughout the development journey, we encountered and overcame various technical challenges. Our frontend team worked diligently to create a responsive and accessible user interface, leveraging the capabilities of Next.js and Tailwind CSS to deliver a seamless user experience across devices. On the backend, we used Firebase to store the data of local organizations. The utilization of Google Vision API allowed us to implement our object recognition feature, enabling users to create donation lists effortlessly.

After rigorous testing and refinement, we were ready to deploy Sharity. We chose Vercel to host our website because it works seamlessly with Next.js.

What's next for Sharity

Even after this hackathon, we have no intention of slowing down. Sharity has ignited a passion within our team to continue making a meaningful impact on our community. We believe that our innovative approach to connecting donors with local organizations through a centralized platform and AI object recognition technology sets us apart and addresses a significant problem in the world of philanthropy.

By simplifying the giving process and ensuring that donations are matched with the actual needs of organizations, Sharity has the potential to revolutionize the way people give back to their communities. Our platform is not only impactful but also highly scalable, with the ability to expand to new regions and partner with a diverse range of organizations.

With a solid foundation and a clear vision for the future, we believe that Sharity has the potential to be launched as a successful venture, driving positive change and inspiring a new generation of givers. We are excited to continue this journey and make a lasting impact on the world, one donation at a time.