Home Articles World first: This Australian developed app converts “thanks” into a charitable donation

World first: This Australian developed app converts “thanks” into a charitable donation

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Good Thnx, an Australian innovation aimed at creating a world with more gratitude, was recently launched by Good Thnx Foundation with the support of five of Australia’s leading charities: World Vision Australia, WWF-Australia, RSPCA South Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria, and beyondblue.

Collectively, they are inviting over one million Aussies to join them in saying “thnx” and rewarding good in their community – using the one thing we increasingly have in our hands all the time, smartphones, to unleash the power of gratitude and make a positive difference in the world.

How does Good Thnx work?

It works like this: when someone does something nice for you or good for the world, you reward them by pre-donating money for their chosen charity.

The platform enables people to send a “thnx” to anyone, which includes a short message and an amount to go to charity. The person you thank is notified and they choose which charity gets the money.

“This simple idea of embracing the power of gratitude and appreciation will act as a positive behavioural loop, encouraging more acts of kindness, and more rewarding of good behaviours, and on it goes,” says Good Thnx co-founder, Shannon Poulton.

Shannon and fellow co-founder Ante Juricin, together with the founding charity partners, have been working on the platform with an advisory board of Australians with world-class experience in Internet technology, consumer behaviour and social innovation.

These include Alan Noble, Engineering Director at Google Australia and New Zealand, Adam Ferrier, Global Chief Strategy Officer and consumer psychologist at Cummins&Partners and David Paterson, Chief Innovation Officer at World Vision Australia.

Alan said that Good Thnx is based on the simple, yet powerful idea that tech can be a tremendous force for good, by creating something extraordinary from ordinary deeds performed every day.

Paterson, on the hand, highlighted that charity fundraising has traditionally focused on need and deficit but at the same time there is so much good being done every day, by so many, whether at home, at work, in the community, or on the street.

“What better way to help others than to harness this strength, by recognising good and expressing gratitude? The good work that reputable charities do can only occur because of that spirit of generosity and reaching out to others. Good Thnx makes this so easy for everyone,” he remarked.

What is the story behind Good Thnx?

Previously, Shannon worked in a local leadership role in the Hub Adelaide Clubhouse while Ante was the Head of Digital at Adelaide City Council.

Shannon got the idea for Good Thnx when Ante brought him a $1 lemonade ice block unprompted, in the middle of a scorching Adelaide summer.

“To me, was worth its weight in gold and such a thoughtful gesture,” he told Anthill.

“With a keen interest in behaviour change, I immediately thought: what a legend, how can I motivate Ante to do that again? And if not for me, but for others. And replace ice block, with any good deed. And replace Ante, with anyone.

“The face-value of the ice block was seemingly worthless to Ante, but has a lot of worth to someone. If I paid him for the ice block he’d likely reject it, or place the $1 in his pocket and forget it. And If I paid Ante for the time it took to go and get the ice block, he’d certainly reject the money.

“But if I thanked Ante, allocated an amount – based on the gesture, or what I could afford – and the money went to charity, then we’re onto something.

“And if I thanked Ante, the money went to charity, and I socialised the interaction – regardless of whether Ante cared for the “thnx”, his peers would see that his good deed resulted in a donation to charity. A powerful motivator.”

After looking at the micro-donation and online charity payment space, the duo wasn’t impressed with the many for-profit platforms that take between 5-10 per cent of the donations.

There is no direct cost for a charity to be listed on Good Thnx, nor for the receipt of donations. 100 per cent of the intended donation passes through.

It’s also free for users to say “thnx” straight from their web browser, or download and use the free iOS or Android apps.

Shannon and Ante established their own charity foundation (Good Thnx Foundation) to make goodthnx.me work, partnered with the really big, and innovative charities for launch and are now opening the platform all Australian charities as long as they have deductible gift recipient (DGR) status.

And thanks to a successful pre-lauch campaign on Aussie crowdfunding website Chuffed.org, the first 10,000 users will be credited with $1 on their account to get started on rewarding good, saying “thnx” and changing the world.