Why We’re Building SEND.SOCIAL: Fair Giving for a Broken System
- Bernhard Thalhammer
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
This is the story of why we’re building SEND.SOCIAL: to crack open the black box of global giving and replace it with transparent, verifiable change.
We believe efficient processes are the heart of fairness. And we know technology like blockchain and AI offers a better way to tackle the world’s toughest challenges, from healthcare and infrastructure to education and beyond.
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
More than half the global population, over 4.5 billion people, lacks access to essential healthcare. This gap often extends to crumbling infrastructure, poor education, and beyond. The causes are complex and solutions for conflicts, poverty and uneven economic development are often not in sight. However, one certainty shines through: people want to help and make a difference. Yet, when they donate, their contributions too often fade into a blackbox. Updates, if they come, are fleeting: maybe a distant photo of a community or some type of a report, leaving donors in the dark about the real impact.
The waste is staggering. In some aid systems, 30%, 40%, or even over half of donated funds dissolve into overheads or mismanagement before reaching those in need. Joe Rogan exposed in one episode that sometimes up to 97% are wasted on overheads. If a bank did that with financial products, regulators would crack down hard and lock up those responsible for decades. In humanitarian efforts, though, it’s brushed off as the cost of doing good. Delivering aid to remote corners carries real expenses, but when those costs swell without reason, when clarity vanishes, and accountability erodes, it’s more than inefficient: it’s deeply unjust. This truth has haunted me since those childhood days collecting donations in Austria.
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
At SEND.SOCIAL, we are convinced that fairness begins with transparency, a belief that warms the heart of why giving matters. When processes are laid open: clear, efficient, and guided by heartfelt principles, everyone benefits, especially the people who need our help most. We dream of systems that light the way to a brighter future, where every step reflects our hope:
Every contribution traces straight to its real impact, letting donors see the good they’ve sparked.
Code steps in to untangle the knots of bureaucracy, making help flow smoothly with promise.
Trust grows from solid proof, not empty words, rebuilding confidence with every verified step.
The value chain stays lean, fair, and open, ensuring aid reaches those in need without a stumble.
Our vision isn’t to dim the human spirit that fuels compassion, it’s to lift it higher. With technology like blockchain for unshakable records and AI to boost impact, we’re crafting a future where every effort counts. This isn’t about replacing the heart of giving; it’s about giving it wings to soar, turning hope into lasting change that brightens communities everywhere.
WE CAN DO IT
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too, through a joint effort by all those who can make a needed contribution.”
John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962
Achieving transparency in impact funding is a huge challenge. It requires questioning established practices, shifting entrenched perspectives, and building new infrastructure from the ground up. This is no simple task. Engaging with resistant institutions, forging strategic partnerships, and demonstrating viability demand persistence. Yet, ease is not our motivation. This endeavor matters profoundly.
We see this as a challenge worth embracing, one that cannot be delayed. We are committed to succeeding, integrating technology, collaboration, and a shared vision to prove a better approach is attainable. As JFK emphasized, such grand missions thrive through the combined efforts of partners who bring their unique strengths to the table. Let us unite our efforts. Let us construct something enduring. Let us demonstrate to the world that giving can be equitable, open, and transformative.
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