March 4, 2024
Small amounts are possible, so donations are activated
The installation of fundraising kiosks also played a part
"Is the money I donated going to be used properly?" One of the major reasons why people are not willing to give their pockets to neighbors in need is distrust of donation organizations. However, platforms that have secured transparency in donations through information technology (IT) have recently attracted attention.
The platform is also challenging the notion that donations have to be "one-time, large-sum contributions." They are using kiosks everywhere and booths that take four-cut photos on the spot. Attention is focusing on whether such an IT platform that changes the existing negative perception of donations can improve the domestic donation culture, which remains at the bottom of the world.
According to the IT company Cherry on the 4th, more than 380 organizations have collected a total of 12.9 billion won worth of donations as of last month through the blockchain-based donation platform Cherry, which has been in operation since 2019. Cherry's core is to transparently show the details of when and where the donations were spent with the blockchain patent system. Transparency is guaranteed because all transactions on the blockchain are publicly traded. First of all, blockchain wallets are used to receive money from donors and deliver it to organizations. After that, it is possible to track the group's fundraising that is converted into won. "Through the rechargeable prepaid card Cherry Card created in partnership with BC Card, we can even track the details of when and how the final beneficiaries spent the donations," a Cherry official said.
Just because transparency is guaranteed does not mean that the donation rate is going up. Fun donations in everyday life have boosted Cherry's popularity. Yanolja set up a kiosk at the company to boost employee donations at the end of last year. It has been well received and is preparing to operate at all times. UNICEF is also pushing to introduce a kiosk and a Cherry Donation Photo Studio following the Cherry Donation POS system. The Cherry Donation Photo Studio is a system that automatically makes a donation when four-cut photos are taken at a booth and can be found at hotels and arboretums.
Transparent, easy, and fun donations are especially increasing the participation rate of the MZ generation (born in the early 1980s to early 2000s). As of 2022, the MZ generation topped the list with 56 percent of cherry users by age.
In fact, A (30), who ranked first in terms of donations in 2021, recorded 13.835 million won (58 times) in donations, and B (27), who ranked third, recorded 4.85 million won (87 times). Lee Ji-hye (27), an office worker who recorded a cumulative donation of 4.856,748 won (27 times) as of the 1st, said, "The donation organization that I was using handed out 'donation certificates' and 'mask strings'," adding, "I wanted to spend money on that, and I thought I wanted to make the donation flow safe."