Gamified Charitable Contribution Platform with Referral Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional fundraising methods overwhelm donors, requiring large contributions to make an impact, and often fail to incentivize smaller donations effectively, as incentives are not universally appealing.

Innovation Solution

A computing platform gamifies charitable contributions by allowing users to make small donations and referrals, visualizing their impact through graphical illustrations, encouraging participation and networking, and providing rewards based on contribution levels and referrals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If traditional fundraising methods are used, then large donations are required to make an impact, but this overwhelms donors and reduces participation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetotal charitable fundingVSAvoiddonor participation

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the donation impact by separating direct contributions from referral contributions. Each donor's total impact is divided into their own donation amount and the donations made by people they refer, allowing small individual contributions to be part of a larger collective impact when combined with successful referrals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a nested referral structure where donors can refer others who in turn refer additional people, creating multiple levels of nested referrals. This allows a single donor's impact to extend through multiple generations of referrals, amplifying their contribution without requiring them to donate large amounts directly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If incentives are offered to encourage donations, then donor motivation increases, but incentives require significant donations to be worthwhile

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedonor motivationVSAvoiddonation amount

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the incentive dynamic by calculating rewards based on the ratio of referral contributions to direct contributions rather than requiring a fixed minimum donation amount. This dynamic incentive structure adapts to different donation levels, making incentives achievable for donors of all contribution sizes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter for incentive calculation from absolute donation amount to a ratio-based metric (referral contributions divided by direct contributions). This parameter transformation allows small donors to earn meaningful incentives through successful referrals without needing to make large financial contributions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If donors make small contributions to many organizations, then accessibility increases, but individual impact becomes difficult to measure and understand

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedonation accessibilityVSAvoidimpact visibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by providing donors with a calculated impact metric that shows their total contribution including referral donations. This feedback loop transforms the invisible collective impact of small donations into visible, measurable information that donors can understand and share

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses visual representation (graphical illustrations) to display donor impact, transforming abstract numerical data into visually intuitive displays that show the magnitude of total contributions including referral amounts, making impact visible and understandable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS20190311386A1Method and system for incentivizing charitable contributions

Publication Date: 2019.10.10 YOU & 2 LLC

AI summary

A method for gamification of charitable contributions on a computing platform includes: storing, in a memory of a computing device, program code for an application program executable by a processor of the computing device; receiving at least a selection of a charitable cause, a contribution amount, and payment information from a user of the computing device; transmitting the selection of the charitable cause, the contribution amount, and the payment information to a processing server; receiving contribution data from the processing server, the contribution data including at least a direct contribution amount and a referred contribution amount associated with the user of the computing device; generating a graphical illustration of the received contribution data; and displaying, by a display device interfaced with the computing device, the generated graphical illustration.