Vishal Chintawar spent 15 years working in the nonprofit sector before founding the wellness-focused platform Givhero.
“I saw how people are really motivated to support the causes they care about,” says Chintawar. “The idea was to use this emotional connection to social causes to motivate people to track and achieve their goals, thereby supporting their community.”
Chintawar describes Givhero as “a motivational engine and people engagement platform.” It leverages charitable giving as a reward system for setting and achieving individual goals. With each target hit, individuals “unlock” donation dollars that they can redirect to their favorite charities.
Launched in the corporate wellness space, Gaithersburg-based Givhero provides HR leaders the ability to create meaningful corporate health and wellness programs, without having to manage complicated tracking and reward systems. The company simply allocates a portion of its charitable budget for the program and Givhero sets up the wellness platform and manages the donations.
Employees set daily health and wellness goals, such as 10 minutes of meditation or 5,000 steps; when these goals are achieved, a donation is made to the employee’s selected charity. This innovative approach promotes individual well-being while channeling corporate resources into supporting local charities.
What makes Givhero so powerful, according to Chintawar, is that it gamifies the experience, which encourages continuous engagement – thereby supporting long-term health goals.
“These are really small, daily, achievable goals, which you can do every day, but the effect of it over time for your health is pretty awesome. And when you achieve these goals, your company is donating to your charity of choice,” he says.
The real-time nature of the program ensures that charities receive donations year-round, and because the employee selects the charity, smaller organizations from around the globe may receive funding.
“It is good to write one big check, but there are so many charities that need support all year long,” says Chintawar. “We see charities all the way from a small town in Florida to a small village in Australia getting supported through our program.”
Chintawar is exploring new ways to leverage the Givhero model, beginning with conferences and events. Instead of incentivizing visits to exhibitor booths with free handouts, the platform encourages participants to scan QR codes on exhibitors' badges, triggering a donation to a charity of their choice. This not only adds value for the vendor by encouraging conversation, but also allows conference organizers to make an impact in attendees' local communities, says Chintawar.
As part of this journey, Givhero received funding from TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies. With the $200,000 State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) investment from TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds, Givhero has continued their growth trajectory. In the six years since its inception, Givhero has built a roster of global clients and demonstrated a minimum 50% increase in participation rates, confirming the impact of social connection on employee engagement.
But Chintawar says he is most proud of Givhero's unique concept. While similar platforms have emerged in recent years, none fully embrace the core concept of a community-focused social impact platform.
“We are human, and we love to support each other. That emotional connection is intrinsic,” Chintawar says. “That’s what makes it sticky. That's how we motivate people and that's what Givhero is all about.” I95 Content Marketing
Source: I95Business