InMyName
Join InMyName and pledge to charity in your name or in memory of a loved one - secure your legacy today.
About You
Background Information
First Name
Natalie
Last Name
Husdan
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
The competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
UK
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
The photo I uploaded in the media section is of my gorgeous brother Geoffrey Husdan. He was killed in an accident at the age of 33 on the 24th July 2011. I want to set up a not-for-profit website that creates something positive out of what is often the worst time in people’s lives; losing someone they love. The site encourages charitable giving in memory of the deceased, enabling individuals to create a memorial pledge either in their own name or in the name of a loved one who has passed away. The design stage of the website has been completed and domain names purchased. I have a BSc in Politics and a MA in Classical Acting - perhaps not especially relevant to entrepreneurship, but I absolutely have the creativity and dedication to make InMyName work, however I need funding and mentoring to take my idea from its current stage onwards and upwards.
About Your Organization
Organization Name
InMyName
Organization Website
Organization Country
United Kingdom, CHS
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Not registered
Innovation
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
When my brother died, one of the few things my family were sure of was that they didn’t want hundreds of bouquets of flowers at his funeral. We wanted a difference to be made in Geoff’s name, so we requested donations to a charity instead. The decision of which charity to select in itself was hard; we couldn’t ask Geoff,which charity would he have chosen? Many people kindly donated to the charity we selected, however we had no record of these donations as people donated in different ways; on the charity’s website, in the charity’s shops and by sending cash and cheques. The issues we faced after Geoff's death aren't unique to my family; many people want to contribute something positive when a loved one passes. This desire is naturally at its strongest in the immediate aftermath of a death.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
InMyName allows individuals to create a memorial pledge in their own name or in the name of a loved one who has passed away. On each pledge, a message can be written and money donated to the charity specified. People may wish to do this immediately after a loved one has passed away,or in the years following; on anniversaries for example. Each pledge is public and open for anyone to look up on the site. This is purposeful so anyone can find your pledge, donate to the charity specified and perhaps leave a message. Each pledge is active forever and provides a permanent record for all to see of every donation made in your name. Some people choose to give flowers at a funeral and to leave flowers on a loved one’s grave on important dates. InMyName is an alternative way for people to show their love and respect for the deceased;by donating to a relevant charity in honour of their memory. We encourage people to set up their own pledge now, selecting the causes they are most passionate about.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
A loved one passes away - if they have made a pledge already on InMyName then nothing needs to be done, family/friends can begin to donate online - if they have not made a pledge, one can be created quickly, easily and for free on the site - friends and family can then be directed to the site via the funeral order of service for example. Charities receive donations in full - site sponsors, funding and advertising keep the service free for users and charities - family and friends worldwide can see all donations and messages left on their loved one's pledge - page remains open indefinitely for people to view and continue donating (on anniversaries for example).
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Some larger charities have begun to offer ways of creating online tributes on their websites to loved ones and JustGiving has pages for people undertaking fundraising activities in memory of someone.InMyName is crucially different from everything on offer at the moment in that it is free,it encourages individuals to set up their own pledge exactly as they would want it so that family and friends don’t have to, and pledges are public so not subject to login requirements.Furthermore InMyName aims solely at enabling people to donate to charity in memory of a loved one,allowing some personal words/info and a photo on each pledge page,which in time will list all donations/messages received,but it does not seek to replicate a Facebook page in the sharing of information personal to the deceased.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
Social Impact
What is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
More people are choosing to ask for charitable donations in lieu of flowers at a funeral,and the message at last year’s Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention was that in memory giving will outstrip money given through legacies in 10 years’ time.Charities receive over £2bn in legacy income per year.In the UK almost half the population have a page on Facebook. If even a small percentage of these people signed up to InMyName, choosing to make a difference when they pass away (unfortunately the one inevitability that let's face it, we all share), then InMyName would provide charities with a new stream of revenue and a great source of comfort for those grieving. Additionally,unlike most websites,InMyName will be fully monitored and kept free from web trolls or inappropriate commentary.
Sustainability
How does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
The premise of InMyName is that is free to sign up, free to donate and charities do not pay to receive donations from the site and receive all donations in full - no fees are charged by the site. This can only be sustained through site advertising and ideally a main lead sponsor once the site starts to receive traffic.
As long as there are people, there should never be a shortage of potential pledgers for the site, and with over 160,000 registered charities in the UK alone, all reliant on the public’s goodwill and monetary donations to survive, there is no shortage of pledgees.
Viral advertising of the site through twitter, tumblr and facebook for example should be maximised in the absence of a more traditional advertising budget. We hope to forge relationships with health and end-of-life service providers to help promote the site to their existing markets
Being a website, our negative environmental impact should be nil, and environmental charities will benefit from increased donations.
We aim for the site to develop links with other organisations that promote charitable giving and giving back to the community, from organ donation and giving blood to fair trade groups and philanthropic organisations.
The Social Feed on the site enables visitors to see everything that is being said virally about InMyName, more than just a twitter feed, giving a positive interactive social vibe to the site.
Awareness & learning
How do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
Massively! Social entrepreneurship is where charity meets business, and encourages growth, self-sufficiency, education and hope through job creation, as opposed to straight financial aid that leaves recipients dependent. I've visited Kenya and Tanzania and saw some brilliant social enterprises set up by people from the developed world who have business acumen and spare money to invest.An example was a dhow boat scheme where dhow boats were given to heads of families in Zanzibar who paid a small monthly rent until the initial fee of the boat was paid off,on the condition that once they had earned enough money through their new business they had to give a new dhow boat to another beneficiary who would in turn pay the sum back to them.These were men who could never have saved up enough money to buy their own boat and start a business and simply do not have the means to borrow money like entrepreneurs in the UK can easily do.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
It would be hugely beneficial to see the workings of a successful social business that has been set up in such a different environment to my own, and to mix with people who are at varying stages of setting up their own social enterprises addressing wide-ranging issues. Land-locked Uganda benefits little from tourism unlike neighbouring Kenya, but in the current global downturn she is enjoying economic growth after years of political instability. This must largely be down to Ugandans making the most of their country's natural resources, as these farming communities in Fort Portal are. I would appreciate the learning opportunities that living and working with social entrepreneurs from such a different culture would bring. Visiting any country for the first time always broadens the mind so a trip to such an interesting country in the fascinating continent of Africa would naturally be a rewarding experience.
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| Geoff.jpg | 769.69 KB |
 | 57 weeks ago Natalie Husdan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 59 weeks ago Natalie Husdan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 59 weeks ago Natalie Husdan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 65 weeks ago Natalie Husdan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 66 weeks ago Natalie Husdan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 66 weeks ago Natalie Husdan submitted this idea. |
