Since COVID-19 first began negatively impacting lives and wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy, people have wanted to help. The plight of those affected has touched the hearts of concerned Americans who want to do whatever they can, including offering financial support.
One thing that has stood in the way of an easy aid process is ensuring that assistance is delivered as effectively as possible by being channeled directly to those who most need it. This issue represents a considerable logistical challenge.
To meet that challenge Arjun and Sid Srivastava, two Chicagoan brothers, have created GOODsend, an app that will ensure money donated by generous benefactors reaches as many individuals as possible in their home city of Chicago.
Why was GOODsend started?
“The financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis was eye-opening,” said Arjun Srivastava. “My brother and I are both Chicago natives, and we knew right away that we wanted to use our professional expertise and network to make a positive impact in our community."
“Rather than donate money ourselves and make a one-time impact, we decided to build a platform which could serve as a sustainable solution in supporting those who need it most.”
“Rather than donate money ourselves and make a one-time impact, we decided to build a platform which could serve as a sustainable solution in supporting those who need it most.”
Why This Matters
It is difficult to overstate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the American people. Some of the statistics are genuinely shocking:
· One in five Americans, some 33 million workers, have filed for unemployment since mid-March
· Nearly 3.4 Americans are utilizing the CARES Act to skip their mortgage payment
· One in five children in U.S. reported to do not have enough to eat
Few sectors have been affected as severely as the service industries, with bars, cafes, restaurants, and live venues closed indefinitely during the lockdown. This is a sector that employs nearly 1.5million workers across Illinois alone.
The need for assistance is clear – and the answer provided by GOODsend is simple, yet radical. To funnel cash straight to affected workers who need it to pay for staples such as groceries, utilities, and rent.
“In addition to the obvious healthcare crisis, the financial impact [of COVID-19] was eye-opening,” said Arjun Srivastava. “The financial stimulus package was taking a long time to get passed; and even when passed, $1,200 did not seem like enough for a clear majority of our population. Very early on, I knew I wanted to build a mobile-based solution that would allow an easier way for those in need to receive money right away.”
“In addition to the obvious healthcare crisis, the financial impact [of COVID-19] was eye-opening,”
How does GOODsend work?
Arjun and Sid have a mixture of relevant expertise in software, product design, and project management. They decided to use their technical know-how and network to make a positive contribution to the response to the financial crisis from the pandemic.
GOODsend has been designed to collect recurring and one-time donations via a simple-to-use iOS app. The funds are then digitally disbursed every two weeks to the bank accounts of verified individual beneficiaries.
“We’ve been executing on this idea quickly due to the urgency of the situation,” added Arjun. “People have been financially struggling since the lockdown conditions began in mid-March.
“We knew early on that we wanted to create a peer-to-peer donations platform. The hard part was iterating through our initial ideas and coming up with a solution that would be simple, yet effective, and launch as soon as possible.”
This money is not intended to replace a steady income but it can help pay for day-to-day necessities for people whose employment status has been negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Who will benefit most from GOODsend?
The mission is to help people in the local community to thrive and improve those lives.
“We’re supporting the person who’s going to school while holding an hourly job at a bar or restaurant,” said Arjun. “We’re supporting the single mom who’s working two jobs to make sure she can take care of her children.
“There are so many people who are working hard to improve their lives, but they just need some financial support along the way.”
Additionally, in light of recent events, GOODsend has updated its focus to primarily help those working at minority-owned establishments in Chicago.
“There was already extensive data showing that minority communities have been most impacted by COVID-19 and economic conditions,” said Arjun. “We’re a minority-owned business ourselves, and we’re specifically looking to help those who work at minority-owned establishments in the Chicago community.”
"With everything going on since, we believe this mission to be more important than ever.”
Next Steps
GOODsend has not yet launched and is not expected formally to go live until late June. However, it has already garnered considerable interest from a large number of potential donors in the city, as well as outreach from families in need.
“We’ve heard some very sad stories when speaking with those who we are on-boarding as beneficiaries,” said Arjun. “The pleasant surprise has been the feedback we’ve received from prospective donors. People seem really excited about our idea and eager to help when it launches.”
All the cash will go straight to the people who need it. “We take 0% of the money which gets donated,” added Arjun. “Our mission is to simplify the act of giving, and to get money directly to those who need it most.”
“We take 0% of the money which gets donated,” added Arjun. “Our mission is to simplify the act of giving, and to get money directly to those who need it most.”
How can people help GOODsend?
The platform will only be as powerful as the recurring donor community that supports it. As more people offer their assistance, the number of individuals in need who can be helped will rise.
At this stage, therefore, raising awareness is critical and people can help by spreading the word on social media and through their personal networks.
Donors can simply download the GOODsend app, create an account and set up their donation amount and frequency.
To find beneficiaries, the team is setting up a referral system. Working directly with the owners and managers of Chicago-area establishments and taking referrals from Chicago area nonprofits, they will onboard eligible workers as GOODsend recipients.
You can contact the team via this form on their website, which can be found at www.goodsendapp.com, or by emailing Arjun or Sid at arjun@goodsendapp.com and sid@goodsendapp.com
“We’ve heard some very sad stories when speaking with those who we are on-boarding as beneficiaries,” said Arjun. “The pleasant surprise has been the feedback we’ve received from prospective donors. People seem really excited about our idea and eager to help when it launches.”
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