SWINDON, United Kingdom — In a digital age where every want, need, inconvenience or curiosity can be remedied with the right app almost instantly, the potential of an app knows no bounds. ShareTheMeal is an app-based donation platform that is part of the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), which aims to reduce global hunger. Users can send meals to anywhere in the world at the touch of a button, for as little as 80 cents. Voted the best app of 2020, ShareTheMeal has seen more than 184 million meal donations as of June 2023 and has so far completed 115 of its goals.
Background
Sebastian Stricker and Bernhard Kowatsch founded ShareTheMeal in Berlin in 2014, with the goal to tackle the concerning rate of global hunger. In an interview with the CEO of ShareTheMeal, Rami Kridly discussed the inspiration behind the organization and the rationale for harnessing an app-based approach.
Stemming from a “deep concern for the global issue of hunger and a strong desire to make a meaningful impact,” the founders recognized the potential the power of technology had to connect people across borders to combat the issue collectively. With the exponential growth in smartphone usage, the founders leveraged this in developing an app that simplified how users could contribute to reducing world hunger whilst simultaneously empowering them.
ShareTheMeal App – How it Works
ShareTheMeal app works by allowing users to simply select what cause they want to donate toward and enter the exact value they wish to donate at the push of a button. The platform indicates how many meals will be donated in exchange for the amount of money the user donates and offers the flexible option of donating through a monthly subscription or as a one-off payment. This transparency is just one of the multitude of benefits that the ShareTheMeal app has in comparison to traditional donation methods.
Kridly discusses some of the further benefits that the adoption of this innovative approach has had:
- Convenient & Accessible – By utilizing the widespread use of smartphones, the ShareTheMeal app has made donating not only quick and simple but more accessible for a large majority of the population.
- Engagement – The app-based platforms send push notifications directly to people’s screens. This correlates with an increased level of user engagement as users can stay informed and aware of any developments and subsequently continue to revisit the app.
- Donor loyalty – Using push notifications along with interactive elements of the app, including campaign details and the ability to view stories from the field, ShareTheMeal has fostered a sense of connection with its users. This has subsequently “strengthened donor loyalty and helped lead to above standard donation frequency.”
Raising Awareness Within the Younger Generation
Alongside increasing user engagement and donor loyalty, the ShareTheMeal app also raises awareness among the general public of the issues surrounding world hunger. “By leveraging its user-friendly interface and engaging features” all accessible from a smartphone, the app has increased awareness among the younger generation in particular, explains Kridly. He further elaborated that through the crowdfunding nature of individual campaigns, the ability to create challenges on the app and the way in which users can be directly updated and involved captures the attention of the younger generation and “provides them with a sense of involvement and empowerment.”
This method is an example of the potential that a move to a more digital and innovative donation platform can have. Capturing the attention and concern of the younger generation is crucial to achieving the mobilization of a cause, as global connectivity has shifted the power balance within society. Researchers have suggested that there has been a generational shift in setting and influencing societal behavior, in place of socioeconomic differences, which has come about in conjunction with the increased usage and power of the internet.
Turkey/Syria Earthquake
One of ShareTheMeal’s most recent successes has been its rapid involvement during the Turkey/Syria earthquakes, which hit the countries in February 2023. The earthquakes left a path of devastation in its wake, with an estimated 865,000 people living in tents directly after the earthquake in Turkey alone.
Kridly describes ShareTheMeal’s response to the disaster, stating that the organization not only responds to emergency aid efforts but “excels at it.” Quickly after news broke of the earthquake, the ShareTheMeal team was quick to launch a campaign via the app to support the WFP’s efforts in both Turkey and Syria. After going live, the campaign raised enough for 1.5 million meals from the existing donor base alone, reinforcing the effectiveness of the app-based method in achieving donor loyalty.
ShareTheMeal continues to raise meals for those in Turkey and Syria, alongside delivering meals for those struggling with poverty, conflict and disaster in Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Ukraine, Afghanistan and many more nations.
Are App-Based Organizations the Future of Donation?
Kridly discusses how the adoption of the app has been an essential tool for the growth and success of ShareTheMeal. The long-term benefits that this technology has had exceed anything achievable via traditional donation routes, such as web-based platforms. The ability to keep users engaged and active in campaigns, rather than being passive donors allows ShareTheMeal to set itself apart from industry norms with significant rates of donor loyalty and distinct donor behaviors. Despite initial investment costs, Kridly recommends the adoption of an app-based approach for other organizations due to the benefits discussed here and the potential for this method to engage the younger generation, who will be a critical component of ensuring the progress of efforts to reduce poverty and hunger worldwide in coming years.
Looking Ahead for ShareTheMeal
ShareTheMeal is looking to continue to expand its audience and donor base throughout 2023, as well as increase the number of people who benefit from the money and meals raised through the app. Specifically, Kridly describes how the organization is looking to utilize the app to begin to foster private-sector relations, by installing corporate challenges and API integrations.
Establishing these relations will enhance the organization’s efforts and hopefully “enable collaboration with businesses in addressing food insecurity.” Overall, the organization wishes to make further progress in the continuous effort to reduce global hunger and food insecurity and make as large an impact as possible.
– Ariana Mortazavi
Photo: Flickr