Hold on tight. The way we give is about to change. There is a new plan. Inside a ground-level office in Richmond, easily accessible to the public, Marti Beller thrusts her cell phone forward. On the screen is a photo of Beller at graduation. With big hair and a big smile, you have to look hard to see the resemblance.

Lively commentary around how she looked and how she has changed ensues. The picture has clearly captured the transformation.
“But what does this photo truly tell you about me?” she probes. “Not, what does it tell you about what I looked like on the outside, but what does it tell you about the things I was passionate about at that time?”

People use external images to make first impressions about one another all the time. Beller points out; however, that this conversation in recent years has turned much more toward what is on the inside. In this new social world, she says, “what you care about is a stronger badge of identity than what car you drive or what job you have. What you care about is truly in style.”

Beller insists that giving back to the causes you care about most “captures the essence of your true self.” Philanthropy, she says, is one of the most powerful ways of defining who we are as individuals. One’s personal appearance doesn’t begin to tell that story.

But until now, there has been no clear way to capture an image of our inner personal identity.

PlanG changes that.

Co-founded by Beller, along with Melina Davis-Martin and Heather Loftus, PlanG flips the script by providing a new paradigm around giving. Recently launched with national acclaim, PlanG offers a single solution where individuals and organizations can maximize the impact of their giving while expressing their values and providing inspiration to each other.

“It’s about taking ownership of your good deeds in a way that encourages others to do the same,” explains Beller.

By creating a personalized PlanG giving account, individuals can donate to their choice of more than one million nonprofits and band together with others to fundraise. In addition, consumers can watch their influence increase through donate-able dollars they earn as incentives or rewards from retailers, loyalty programs, and employers.

Not just for individual donors, PlanG is an equally effective tool for non-profits and businesses. Non-profits have flooded PlanG to use the platform as a low cost mechanism to capture micro-donations; while brands that participate in philanthropy are looking to PlanG to extend the impact and halo effect of their giving.

“We all craft our identities through our personal choices, which begin to form a definition of who we are and what we stand for,” says Beller. “A large part of our identity is tied to our philanthropic choices. These shouldn’t take a back seat. They should be a forward-facing piece of your identity.”

Beller points out that during the recession people have begun to abandon their emphasis on material possessions in favor of their corevalues. As more and more individuals return to what is truly important to them, there is a growing need for a place to showcase these values as a way to inspire others to do the same. “PlanG is about purpose and passion through philanthropy,” says of consumer identity with one’s giving identity. By aligning donors of all kinds-individuals, merchants and employers-the platform is maximizing donations while solving real business and marketing challenges. And that’s big.

AMAZING RESULTS

“The face of philanthropy isn’t changing, it has already changed,” says Melissa Hough, President & CEO at the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence. “Individuals have expectations, and reasonably so, about how their money gets used for the greater good.”

Hough says that people want to have more control and influence over their giving and they want to be able to track their contributions and personal impact over time. There is no doubt that technology influences giving. In fact, it tends to motivate more nonprofit organizations to begin incorporating impact measurement tools (see this site for more information) into their daily operations and, thereby, attract more donors. She adds, “The aid of technology to increase awareness about social issues by reaching so many people so quickly is incredible.”

In her role at the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence, Hough sees all types and methods of philanthropy. “My world fortunately is surrounded by people whose identities are very closely linked with their generosity- both in time and money. It’s in their DNA and a key part of who they are in the world,” says Hough. “It’s been fun to see the increases in multi-generation giving including older adults whom many think aren’t technology literate. Make no mistake — they either already are or they are getting there.” As a local example of what PlanG is attempting to tap into on a national scale, Hough points to The Amazing Raise, by The Community Foundation Serving Greater Richmond and Central Virginia, which recently received 15,149 total gifts in 36-hours.

With an average donation of $72.33, the first hour of The Amazing Raise saw a flurry of coming donations coming in at a pace of $2,453 per minute. In fact, donations totaled over $1 million this year, compared to $491,000 just a year ago. Hough says that when people find it so easy to give with new technology they are more likely to drop $5 here and $25 there. It’s much simpler than writing a check, putting it in an envelope, licking the envelope, finding a stamp and dropping it in the mail.

While online platforms and annual events are helping, there is an increasing need for a unifying technology and marketing framework around philanthropy. On the topic of a solution like Plan G, Hough says that she views it as “a global solution to giving” that has the ability to encourage and increase giving in ways we can’t know yet. “The PlanG team is an innovative and energetic team and they are helping to shift the philanthropic paradigm,” opines Hough.

With charities still facing ongoing challenges, it is critical for cause related organizations, individuals, and brands to work together to redefine how and why we give.

“Post recession, consumers want to exert control over their life and financial decisions,” says Beller, who sees opportunity for individuals and brands to answer the current challenge by partnering like never before. “It’s clear that consumers are looking to do business with brands that align with their lives. Individuals will be more loyal to brands when they are able to reconcile their values with the values of the companies they do business with.”

Beller says that making purchase decisions with brands that share their values will ultimately become a further extension of an individual’s personal identity. Companies that incent or reward consumers for their business by contributing dollars to donate to the charity of their choice, is just the first step in creating the ultimate alignment between individuals and brands. With the “why” and “how” of philanthropy answered, it’s now only a matter of “when” to give.

PlanG says the time is now.

With the ability to capture a lifetime photograph of your identity through giving, there is now a place to have a voice around what matters to you most. The question is what do you want to tell the world, about you?