An initiative of NATIONAL INTERNET EXCHANGE OF INDIA & DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

Spark the Rise

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Description

Spark the Rise is a platform to connect people who have ideas for how to drive positive change in India. They can submit project plans for action, get in touch with each other to volunteer, advise, and donate, and also vote for projects to win monthly grants from Mahindra. Submissions can be done both online and offline, by mailing in forms that are available at Mahindra dealerships and offices across India. These submissions are then inputted to the website to be publicized to potential volunteers, advisors, and donors, as well as to win votes.

What do we deliver?

A platform for publicizing their ideas and attracting volunteers and donations -The chance to win a significant grant to make their project happen -The impetus to take action and create a project: many of these people are first-time change agents who would not otherwise have taken action on their ideas -The empowerment to make a difference -A platform for discussing the issues facing India today with likeminded, passionate people.

Whom we deliver?

To date, Spark the Rise has 10,023 registered users. 2,696 people have started at least one project. In total, 3,541 projects have been started and 1,538 have been submitted. A much larger number of people are visiting the site and browsing the content without registering or submitting a project. These people might simply be curious to learn more, or interested in volunteering. In the 24 hours after the first round of voting opened (12-13 September 2011), 23,801 people visited www.sparktherise.com. On average, they spent 7:39 minutes on the site and viewed an average of 6.97 pages. The bounce rate was 38.73%. This audience is global, with visits from 84 countries and territories. Most site visitors were in India. The second-highest contributor the United States: 1,306 people in the United States visited the site.

How is the project unique?

This is the first time such a wide-ranging platform has been created in India one that brings together many parts of society from individuals to institutions to corporations to NGOs. It is also one of the first large-scale projects to promote volunteering in India, where such a culture is just starting to form. The idea is to provide a platform for people to take over the movement themselves, rather than the traditional mentality of managing a campaign.

Roadmap

We see Spark the Rise as an ongoing platform. Now that it has been created, it belongs to the community that uses it. Although the first grant-giving exercise will end in April 2012, www.sparktherise.com will remain fully functional. Again, the primary objective is not to give grants, but to facilitate a vibrant community of change agents and to empower people to take responsibility for the world around them. In this first launch, Spark the Rise is limited to projects in India. People in other countries can participate by volunteering, voting, or discussing, but they cannot suggest projects to take place in their countries. We would like to expand beyond India. We also envision the grant-giving component of Spark the Rise as an annual event. Next year, we will run a similar initiative, incorporating changes made in response to learnings from this first experience. Our long term vision is to contribute to a growing culture of volunteering and action among people in India. We want to strengthen people inclination and ability to effect change directly, and to help them connect and collaborate for the common good.

Contact

Mahindra Group
B. Karthik
Mahindra Towers, 3rd Floor, Dr GM Bhosale Marg Worli, Mumbai 400018
URL/Website – www.sparktherise.com

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