Donator
Donate locally, impact globally. Donator makes it easy to support local charities that align with your values.
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How can we connect people who want to donate with local organizations in need of donations, making it easier to give back to their community?
Problem Background
The act of charitable giving has become increasingly popular in recent years, as people are more interested in contributing to causes they believe in. However, finding a local charity to donate to can be difficult and time-consuming. Many users struggle with knowing where to donate, what to donate, and how to donate. As a result, they may give up on donating altogether or choose a charity that is not a good fit for their values.
Currently, there are several charity search engines and donation platforms available in the market, such as Charity Navigator, GoFundMe, and JustGiving. However, these platforms do not specifically address the need for finding local charities in a user's area. Moreover, these platforms may not provide enough information to users about what the charity does, how their donations will be used, or the impact they will make. As a result, users may feel unsure about the legitimacy of the charity and the effectiveness of their donation, leading to a lack of trust in the platform and the charitable giving process. The lack of a dedicated platform for finding and donating to local charities creates a barrier for users who want to give back to their community and contribute to causes they care about.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
Through user research, we have identified several pain points that users face when it comes to finding and donating to local charities. One of the biggest pain points is the lack of transparency and trust in charities. Users are often unsure of how their donations are being used and whether they are making a real impact. They want to know more about the charity's mission, the programs they offer, and the outcomes they have achieved.
Another pain point is the difficulty in finding local charities. There is no single way that people find local charities, and it is often a time-consuming and frustrating process. Users may resort to using Google search or relying on word-of-mouth, which can be unreliable and limit the number of options available.
Supporting Data
We conducted a user survey and user interviews and these were some of our findings:
- 61.5% of survey users mentioned that their biggest pain point with donating was the lack of transparency
- 53.8% of survey takers said Word of Mouth was the most popular way to find local charities
- Survey users mentioned that many donation platforms are “old and unintuitive” and so they are discouraged to donate due to the difficulty of the platform itself
- In user interviews, individuals were worried that if they donated to a large organization or to the wrong charity they won’t make an impact and their donations will go to waste
Landing on the Solution
The solution is to develop an app called Donator that helps users easily find local charities and donate to causes they care about. Donator will provide users with a list of verified and reputable local charities in their area, along with information on how to donate and what to donate. Additionally, the app will feature a donation tracker that shows the impact of their donations, giving users transparency and reassurance that their contributions are making a difference.
Explanation of Solution
Donator provides a one-stop-shop for users to find and donate to local charities in their area. It eliminates the need for time-consuming Google searches or relying on word-of-mouth recommendations, and instead provides users with a verified list of reputable charities that they can choose from. Additionally, Donator provides transparency by showing users how their donations are being used and the impact they are making.
Furthermore, Donator's donation tracker feature will provide users with a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue giving, as they will be able to see the impact of their contributions.
Overall, Donator will be a valuable tool for users who want to give back to their community and contribute to causes they care about. It will provide transparency, convenience, and reassurance, making charitable giving more accessible and rewarding.
Future Steps
While Donator addresses the pain points of lack of transparency and difficulty in finding local charities, there are other problem areas that can be addressed in the future to further improve the app. Some of these future steps include:
- Incentives for users: offering rewards or recognition for their contributions
- Integration with social media: allowing users to share their donations and encourage their friends to donate as well.
- Streamlined donation process: allowing users to make donations with just a few clicks
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Anuska Rungta
- Product management is all about identifying and solving real-world problems that customers face, and not just building products for the sake of it.
- A successful product manager needs to have a strong understanding of their target market, their needs, and their pain points in order to create a product that resonates with them.
- The product development process involves a lot of cross-functional collaboration, including working closely with designers, engineers, marketing, and sales teams. And there will be times when nobody agrees with one another, but it is the product manager's role to make sure everyone comes to an agreement before moving on.
- Effective communication is critical in product management, both within the team and with stakeholders outside the team.
- Understanding your stakeholders perspectives will be incredibly important in ensuring everyone works well together
- A product roadmap is an essential tool for aligning the team and stakeholders around a shared vision for the product's development
- User research and testing is crucial for understanding how customers use and interact with a product
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
&
As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
&
As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
&
Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
&
- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
&
All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
&
I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.