Civi: GenZ Giving Platform
Co-founded and led the development of Civi, an AI-driven donation platform that allows users to contribute to causes directly while engaging with social media and news content. Designed an instant, frictionless giving experience, driving engagement and impact.
OVERVIEW
Civi is a mobile-first donation platform that enables users to give to causes seamlessly while consuming content on TikTok, YouTube, and news articles. As the Co-Founder and Product Engineer, I developed the AI-driven recommendation engine and user experience, ensuring frictionless donations at the moment of inspiration.
Visit Project View on GitHubTimeline
2023 - Present
Team Size
4 members
Tech Stack
PROBLEM SPACE
Millions of people feel inspired to take action when they see an issue on social media or in the news, yet traditional donation methods introduce friction that leads to drop-off. Civi eliminates these barriers by embedding donation opportunities directly into content consumption.
Target Audience
Gen Z and millennial digital-native donors, content creators, and nonprofit organizations
Market Size
$470 billion global charitable giving market, with online donations growing rapidly
79%
of Gen Z donors prioritize causes tied to social justice or environmentalism (aligned with Civil Rights/Disaster Relief dominance in survey responses)
63%
of Gen Z donors under $50K income cite 'lack of trust' as their top donation barrier (per survey entries)
3x
higher donation frequency among Gen Z users who discover charities via social media vs. traditional search (based on GoFundMe/LaunchGood adoption in data)
$47B
donated online in the US in 2023, driven by Gen Z's mobile-first habits (Federal Reserve 2023 Payments Study)
2.5x
increase in small-dollar (<$50) donations from embedded social media tools (Meta 2023 Giving Report)
DISCOVERY
Discovery Process
Conducted 50+ donor surveys targeting 18-45yo demographics, supplemented by 15 follow-up interviews with high-frequency donors. Analyzed behavioral patterns across income brackets ($0-$450K) and donation frequencies (non-donors to monthly contributors).
Validation Methods
Validated hypotheses through quantitative analysis of donation triggers (e.g., 72% emotional engagement with news) and qualitative testing of platform concepts with 8 interviewees. Triangulated data against charity discovery patterns (social media vs community recommendations).
63% of donors prioritize causes with local impact but struggle to find vetted local nonprofits
Financial incentives (tax benefits) would motivate 41% of non-donors to contribute regularly
78% of frequent donors use social media for charity discovery but distrust platform recommendations
92% demand real-time impact tracking to sustain engagement
High-income donors ($200K+) give 5x more when integrated with tax prep workflows
PAINPOINTS
Painpoint 1
Users navigate 4+ disconnected platforms (social media, news, search engines, tax tools) to research, validate, and donate, increasing abandonment risk.
Painpoint 2
Reliance on manual Google searches and third-party validation (GuideStar/Charity Watch) creates delays and decision paralysis for time-sensitive donations.
Painpoint 3
No embedded donation tools in news/social content forces users to leave platforms mid-engagement to complete contributions.
Painpoint 4
Lack of integrated validation (e.g., 501(c)(3) status visibility) within donation flows raises skepticism about charity legitimacy.
Painpoint 5
No one-click donations or mobile-first flows for TikTok/Facebook-native donors accustomed to instant actions.
PRODUCT DESIGN
Feature 1
Developed an AI-powered engine to recommend charities based on user interactions
Feature 2
Integrated one-click donation functionality within platforms like TikTok and YouTube
Feature 3
Designed a lightweight, mobile-first interface to enhance user experience
Signin page.
AI charity match results.
Impact news page.
TECH STACK
frontend Technologies
RESULTS
userEngagement
Increased donor engagement by 3x compared to traditional fundraising links.conversionRate
Achieved a 45% higher donation completion rate versus external fundraising pages.Chrome Plugin For News
Instantly discover charities relevant to the news you’re reading and donate seamlesslycharityImpact
Enabled verified charities to reach hundreds of engaged digital-native donors.
LEARNINGS
Technical Insights
Built an LLM-powered charity search engine using GPT-4 to help users find the most relevant organizations based on their interests and values.
Integrated GPT-4's semantic search capabilities to match donor intent with high-impact charities.
Optimized natural language queries to ensure accurate and context-aware charity recommendations.
Developed a ranking algorithm that prioritizes transparency, impact, and user preferences when surfacing charity results.
Implemented a feedback loop where user engagement and donation behaviors refine the model’s recommendations over time.
Project Management
Applied lean startup methodologies to rapidly prototype and refine the LLM-based search engine.
Conducted user testing to validate the effectiveness of GPT-4-powered charity recommendations.
Developed partnerships with nonprofit organizations to ensure accurate and trustworthy search results.
Designed an intuitive UI/UX to allow seamless donor interaction with the AI-powered search engine.
Implemented data privacy measures to ensure ethical AI usage and compliance with data protection regulations.
