May is national share a story month. And, I wanted to share the story of Givey CEO Neil Mehta. As well as being the Executive Officer of digital fundraising platform for small charities and local not-for-profit communities, Givey, Neil Mehta is also the Chairman of Water Harvest. This is a UK-based non-profit organisation which provides remote Indian communities with clean water through rainwater harvesting. He also Chairs Simera Ltd too. This company helps organizations restructure and plan their technology investments, financials and innovative technologies deployment. Neil is also the trustee of Fredericks Foundation. They help to alleviate poverty by providing finance to social enterprises that enable people to achieve the dignity and self-respect of supporting themselves through enterprise.
Here Neil talks about his background in the charity sector, his career at Givey and the things that inspire him most.
So why did you get into the third sector?
“Coming from a tech background, I’ve witnessed first-hand how the proliferation of new technologies has drastically altered our lives. This extends to the third sector. For charities and donors alike, there’s never been such a wealth of opportunities for telling new audiences about good causes. This can be through online platforms, social media networks and mobile technology.”
“When spreading the word about charitable causes, I’ve always been particularly passionate about drawing attention to news stories of people doing great work at grassroots level in the community. With 20 years’ hands-on experience in various grassroots charities, I’m acutely aware of the impact small charities have made in their communities. Moreover, the superb work done by individuals or small organisations is often pound-for-pound more effective than some of the bigger charities, which naturally have larger overheads and are less efficient.”
What is something charity-related you have done that you have been proud of?
“I was proud to help a very good friend of mine’s father as he led a project by the Diocese of Salisbury Education Committee to build the first ever secondary school in Juba, South Sudan. This school was created in 2010 for orphaned children, giving them access to British education; today it’s a thriving and successful independent school with around 1,000 students – evenly split between males and females – and a pass rate of 80%. I became part of the project when the site of the school was nothing more than a dust bowl. But, some very committed people with a clear vision and a lot of hard work have made something incredibly special.”
What inspired you to invest in Givey?
“From my time working with some fantastic organisations, I know that financial inclusion and access to transparent finance at the lowest possible cost is a critical challenge for small charities and not-for-profit communities. That’s why, in 2014 when I discovered social donations platform Givey, I decided to invest.”
What is Givey?
“With a mission ‘to make giving a small part of everyday life’, Givey is a solution that is totally transparent. It is open to all donors and charities about how it makes it money. Embracing advances in mobile and social technology, Givey has created a suite of social sharing tools for the donors to effortlessly promote the causes they care about. 100% of all the donations including gift aid made via Givey’s fee free platform goes directly to the charity. This means that small charities benefit from every penny of someone’s valuable donation.”
What makes you passionate about your job at Givey?
“Having seen the amazing work they do, I am determined to continue helping small organisations. That is charities, not for profits or volunteer organisations. To help these groups to make a difference we need to create innovative technology, financing models, mentorship/volunteer structures and access to resources. Providing these things will make small charities even more effective. This will also enable them to keep true to their causes without losing their personal touch in favour of a more corporate approach.”
To visit the Givey website follow this link: https://www.givey.com/
And to find out about the other organisations mentioned read on…
- Water Harvest – https://water-harvest.org/
- Simera – https://www.simera.co.uk/
- Fredericks Foundation – https://www.fredericksfoundation.org/
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