Kiwi Kids ‘Donate’ $3m to Charities

Kiwi Kids ‘Donate’ $3m to Charities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 13 December 2017

New Zealand schoolchildren have donated almost $3m of their hard-earned virtual money to three charities through the Banqer financial education software for kids.

Christchurch-based Banqer was launched in 2015 and is now used by more than 47,000 primary and intermediate schoolchildren every day to transform their classrooms into virtual economies.

Through November, students were able opt-in to a charitable giving scheme within the platform and choose to contribute a portion of their weekly paycheck to either New Zealand Red Cross, CanTeen, or SPCA.

Students chose to donate a total of $2.79m: $86,620 to Red Cross, $1,392,502 to CanTeen, and $1,320,538 to SPCA.

On average, the children were donating just under 5% of their weekly incomes which they earn by completing a variety of tasks around school, such as tidying their desks and doing their homework, and can spend on real-world benefits such as choosing a better desk to sit at.

“The money’s not real but the children’s generosity is,” says Banqer co-founder Kendall Flutey.

“New Zealanders are known for giving generously to charities and it’s so heartening to see our children share that spirit.”

Although the Banqer currency is a fictitious one, the self-funded EdTech startup will give a total of $5,000 to the three charities in real life, split in order of student preferences: $2,000 to CanTeen, $2,000 to SPCA, and $1,000 to Red Cross.

“It’s important to us to translate the children’s giving spirit into a tangible donation on their behalves. Although we’re not in a position to match the full amount, we hope the children get a real kick from knowing that their generosity has actually helped others,” Flutey says.

For the three recipient charities, the money is just in time for what is a particularly busy time of year.

“It’s fantastic to see these kids so excited about raising money for a humanitarian cause,” says Alice Montague, General Manager – Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at New Zealand Red Cross.

“Our work relies on donations from a generous public and we’re happy that a new generation is learning about the importance of giving so we can continue our work in New Zealand and overseas.”

CanTeen CEO Claudine Young adds: “it’s very exciting to be part of an educational platform that encourages young people to take an interest in charity from an early age, inspiring their sense of generosity and compassion.”

According to a 2015 report prepared by Philanthropy New Zealand, Kiwis are estimated to have given a total of $2.7 billion to charitable and community causes in 2014.

“Given the success of this first trial with charity donations, we’re committed to make this an ongoing feature of Banqer. Next year as our company grows, so too will the amount we’re able to give back,” Flutey says.

ENDS

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