Mauka

In India, there are approximately 187,000  non-governmental organisations and about 265 million students. That's a ratio of 1,417 students per organisation. However, only 5% of those students devote their time and efforts to these organisations, of which 54% report difficulties finding and being accepted at volunteering opportunities. For most of these people, calling NGOs upfront is a huge task. For those who do build up the courage to contact the organisations, it takes them multiple tries to find an NGO that aligns with their interests in aiding society and to be accepted by them. From an NGO's perspective, they find it very difficult to accept individuals looking to volunteer as they usually provide homage to individuals with sensitive issues and/or backgrounds. So, finding a person who they can trust to interact with and help these individuals is usually a gamble. Even though the odds are in their favour, there is a lot of hesitation in the process.

Mauka, starting as a WhatsApp group with 20 eager volunteers looking to make a difference in society has now transformed into a web-based solution. NGOs can register on the platform by confirming their non-governmental status using either their PAN Card or an 80G Certificate (Indian documentation). After that, they can upload volunteer opportunities onto the platform. Students can sign up and apply for these volunteering opportunities and then wait for their acceptance by the organisation. To find perfect student-NGO pairings, Mauka makes use of natural language processing and artificial intelligence in an intricate custom recommendation engine that is a customisation of the Gale-Shapely matching algorithm. Additionally, NGOs and students can rate each other based on the experience they have which allows both of them to make an informed decision while selecting the NGO they choose to volunteer at, or the student they accept to volunteer at their organisation.

Mauka primarily serves two key groups: student volunteers and non-profit organizations (NGOs).

For student volunteers, Mauka addresses the needs of a large population of eager individuals who are willing to contribute to society but face significant barriers in finding suitable volunteering opportunities. Currently, many students struggle to navigate the complex landscape of volunteering due to limited access to information, difficulties in finding relevant opportunities, and challenges in connecting with trustworthy organizations. Mauka directly addresses these issues by providing a user-friendly platform where students can easily discover, apply for, and engage in volunteering opportunities that align with their interests and skills. By streamlining the process and leveraging technology, Mauka makes volunteering more accessible, convenient, and rewarding for students, thereby empowering them to make a meaningful difference in their communities.

For non-profit organizations (NGOs), Mauka offers a solution to the common challenges they face in recruiting and managing volunteers. Many NGOs struggle to find suitable volunteers who are committed, reliable, and aligned with their mission and values. Additionally, the process of vetting and onboarding volunteers can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for NGOs. Mauka addresses these challenges by providing NGOs with a platform to easily connect with a large pool of student volunteers who are eager to contribute their time and skills. Through features such as ratings and reviews, NGOs can make informed decisions about accepting volunteers, thereby ensuring a positive and productive volunteering experience for both parties. Mauka enables NGOs to efficiently recruit and manage volunteers, allowing them to focus their resources on their core mission and activities, ultimately leading to greater impact and effectiveness in their work.

Our team's journey with Mauka started because we saw a disparity in society. We were once students ourselves, eager to make a difference but struggling to find the right volunteering opportunities. This initial frustration sparked a drive within us to create a solution that would not only benefit ourselves but also countless others facing similar challenges.

We listen intently to the voices of student volunteers and NGOs, ensuring that their perspectives shape the design and implementation of Mauka. This collaborative approach ensures that our solution is not only relevant but also deeply rooted in the realities and aspirations of the communities it serves.

Moreover, many of us have firsthand experience working with NGOs and community organizations across India. This firsthand experience provides invaluable insights into the operational challenges and needs of these organizations, guiding us in developing features and functionalities that directly address whatever they may be lacking and enhance their ability to engage with volunteers effectively.

Ultimately, our team's proximity to the communities we serve, coupled with our commitment to inclusivity, empathy, and collaboration, uniquely positions us to deliver a solution that truly makes a difference in the lives of student volunteers and NGOs across India.

We've selected the "Growth" stage for Mauka because we've successfully transitioned from the initial testing and pilot phases to establishing a stable, reliable service that's actively used in multiple communities. Since launching, Mauka has connected thousands of volunteers with a variety of NGOs across India. Our platform has not only proven its functionality and effectiveness but has also seen a consistent increase in user engagement, showing that our solution is well-received and valuable to both students and NGOs. We've developed a solid user base and refined our business model and technology based on extensive feedback. This progression demonstrates that Mauka has moved beyond the early stages of development into a phase of multiplying our impact and enhancing our service offerings. However, we have limited access to funding and still have limited reach outside a couple of cities in India. Thus, Mauka hasn't yet reached the Scaling stage as of now.

We are excited to apply to Solve because we see it as a perfect fit for Mauka's mission and vision. While financial support is valuable, our primary interest lies in accessing Solve's comprehensive support program, which aligns perfectly with our goals for Mauka. Our decision to apply to Solve is driven by the recognition of several barriers that we currently face in scaling and maximizing the impact of Mauka. 

Scaling Mauka from its current success in India to reach broader regions such as the UAE, Bangladesh, and eventually the entire world is a significant but achievable goal. We recognize that expanding into new markets requires careful planning, strategic partnerships, and a deep understanding of local contexts and needs. This is where Solve's help, guidance, and support become invaluable.

Firstly, Solve's network of impact-minded leaders across industries and sectors can provide us with crucial insights and connections in new markets. By tapping into Solve's global network, we can identify key stakeholders, potential partners, and community leaders who can help us navigate cultural nuances and market dynamics in each region.

Secondly, Solve's tailored capacity workshops and leadership coaching will be instrumental in preparing our team for the challenges and opportunities of scaling internationally. These workshops can help us refine our strategic plan, develop scalable business models, and build the necessary organizational capacity to support growth across diverse geographies.

Additionally, Solve's access to in-kind resources, such as software licenses and technical expertise, will enable us to adapt our platform to meet the unique needs and preferences of users in different regions. This flexibility is essential for ensuring that Mauka remains relevant and impactful as it expands into new markets.

We believe that Mauka can become a global leader in facilitating volunteering and community engagement, empowering individuals and organizations to make a meaningful difference in communities around the world. Together with Solve, we are committed to realizing this vision and creating a world where volunteering is a universal opportunity for all individuals to contribute to positive social change.

Mauka's journey from a humble WhatsApp group to a web-based platform has transformed the landscape of student volunteering in India. With over 50 NGOs from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, etc. onboard, Mauka facilitates approximately 2000+ students, resulting in over 4000+ hours of volunteering. This significant achievement reflects a paradigm shift in the volunteering landscape, democratizing access to opportunities and enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to contribute meaningfully to various causes.

Traditionally, volunteering often relied on personal contacts or local connections. However, Mauka changed this dynamic entirely, providing a centralized platform where students can easily sign up, browse available opportunities, and apply directly to NGOs based on their interests and skills. This streamlined process not only makes volunteering more accessible but also empowers NGOs to efficiently recruit volunteers from a larger pool of applicants.

Mauka stands out by connecting volunteers across India with diverse sectors—fighting diseases, enhancing education, improving sanitation, and promoting child rights. Its technology revolutionizes volunteer coordination, offering a user-friendly platform that matches volunteers with NGOs based on their passions and skills. Mauka supports both remote and in-person volunteering, broadening participation and fostering global collaboration between volunteers and NGOs, truly embodying a new era of volunteering.

In essence, Mauka is not just a platform; it is a movement—a movement that is making volunteering smoother, faster, and more inclusive. By harnessing the power of technology and community-driven initiatives, Mauka has improved the lives of over 20,000 Indians and continues to drive positive change in communities across the country.

Mauka is poised to make a significant impact on the problem of underutilized volunteering potential. Our theory of change outlines the logical framework linking our activities to immediate outputs and longer-term outcomes for our target population.

Our journey began with a simple observation: there is a disconnect between the abundance of students eager to volunteer and the organizations in need of their support. Recognizing this gap, we developed Mauka, a digital platform akin to a dating app, to bridge this divide. By providing a user-friendly interface where students can easily sign up, browse volunteering opportunities, and apply directly to organizations, we eliminate the friction in the volunteering process.

The immediate output of our activities is the facilitation of volunteering hours and connections between students and NGOs. With over 50 NGOs and 2000+ students onboard, Mauka has already facilitated over 4000 volunteering hours—a testament to the effectiveness of our solution in mobilizing resources and fostering community engagement.

In the longer term, we expect our solution to have several positive outcomes. Firstly, by making volunteering more accessible and convenient, we inspire other students and community members to get involved in social causes. Through our platform, individuals can find opportunities aligned with their interests and availability, empowering them to take that crucial first step toward making a difference.

Additionally, our impact assessment metrics provide tangible evidence of the success of our project. By measuring key indicators such as the number of users, organizations, successful matches, and impact assessment data, we can track our progress toward our goals and identify areas for improvement.

Ultimately, our goal is to foster a culture of giving back and civic engagement, inspiring a ripple effect of positive action and community involvement. Through partnerships with NGOs, schools, and influential figures, we have garnered support and visibility for our mission, amplifying our impact and reach.

Mauka represents a transformative approach to volunteering, leveraging technology and community-driven initiatives to create positive social change. By providing a platform that connects individuals with opportunities to volunteer and contribute to society, we are catalyzing broader positive impacts and changing the landscape of volunteering for the better.

Mauka's impact goals are centered around fostering a culture of volunteering and civic engagement among students and community members, ultimately leading to positive social change and improved quality of life for individuals and communities. Our impact goals are as follows:

1. Increase Volunteer Engagement: Our primary goal is to increase the number of students and community members engaged in volunteering activities through Mauka. We aim to have over 100,000 student volunteers signed up with us in the next 2 years. To measure our progress towards this goal, we track the number of new user registrations on our platform and aim for a steady increase over time.

2. Expand Organizational Reach: We strive to expand the reach and diversity of non-profit organizations (NGOs) offering volunteering opportunities through Mauka. Our goal is to onboard 10,000 organizations and have over 20,000 volunteering opportunities posted weekly on our platform within the next 2 years. We measure our progress by monitoring the number of new NGO partnerships established and the frequency of volunteering opportunities posted.

3. Measure Impact: We seek to measure the impact of volunteering activities facilitated through Mauka, including the number of people served, hours volunteered, and tangible outcomes achieved by NGOs. Currently, we have facilitated over 4000 volunteering hours, and we aim to increase this number tenfold by the end of 2025. Additionally, we conduct regular surveys and feedback mechanisms to gauge user satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

4. Foster Community Engagement: Our overarching goal is to foster a culture of giving back and civic engagement within communities served by Mauka. We aim to inspire a ripple effect of positive action and community involvement by showcasing the impact of volunteering and the value it brings to individuals and society. We measure our progress by monitoring community engagement metrics such as user participation in volunteering activities, user-generated content, and community feedback.

To achieve these impact goals, we employ a comprehensive approach that includes user-friendly technology, strategic partnerships, outreach efforts, and ongoing evaluation and adaptation. By consistently evaluating key performance indicators and adjusting our strategies accordingly, we ensure that Mauka continues to drive positive social change and create meaningful impact in the communities we serve.

1. Natural Language Processing: This technology is used to analyze and understand the text descriptions provided by both students and NGOs regarding their interests, skills, and volunteering preferences. By processing this textual data, Mauka extracts meaningful insights and keywords that aid in categorizing and matching profiles accurately.

2. Gale-Shapley Matching Algorithm: Mauka uses a customized version of the Gale-Shapley matching algorithm. This adaptation is tailored to account for various factors like geographical proximity, availability, specific skills, or the unique needs of the populations served by NGOs. The algorithm ensures that each pairing is stable, facilitating optimal and mutually beneficial partnerships.

3. Feedback and Rating System: NGOs and students rate each other after volunteering. The ratings adjust future recommendations, promoting higher-rated students and NGOs in the matchmaking process, which helps maintain a high quality of interactions.

All of these technologies are integrated into the web and app-based platform for Mauka.

6 full-time members

1 year and 4 months

As we are only six high school students from India, we encounter minimal barriers to opportunity. Our team operates with a high degree of cohesion and professionalism, valuing constructive criticism and fostering an environment where everyone's contributions are respected equally. Each team member consistently delivers their work punctually, and our collaborative efforts are characterized by efficiency and ease. Our interactions are characterized by mutual respect, with no instances of tardiness or discord among team members.

At Mauka, our business model is centred around creating a sustainable platform that connects students eager to volunteer with NGOs that need reliable help. We provide value to both sets of users through a seamless, tech-driven experience that simplifies the process of finding and securing volunteer opportunities.

Students come to Mauka looking for ways to contribute to their communities and gain experience, while NGOs require enthusiastic volunteers who can support their causes. Our web-based platform serves both by using a custom recommendation engine. This system analyses the preferences and skills of students and the needs of NGOs to create optimal matches, ensuring that both parties benefit from the most fulfilling and impactful engagement possible.

Before the end of July, Mauka aims to become a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) so that we can affiliate with the official NGO Directory of the Indian Government - NGODarpan.

To fund this, we soon plan to start with affiliate marketing, which would help cover some of our initial costs by generating revenue through ads and partnerships relevant to our users. We're also looking to secure grants from organizations like MIT Solve. As we grow and reach more users, we plan to introduce a nominal fee for premium features, ensuring our services remain accessible while also supporting our expansion and the continuous enhancement of our platform.

The costs for Mauka are quite minimal in the form of the server costs for AWS and the marketing costs for Google and Meta Ads, with our operational costs being at a minimum with our entire student team. Our approach to becoming financially sustainable involves a mix of strategies that are already showing promise. We're actively looking to secure grants which not only help financially but also boost our credibility and visibility.

We want to start introducing affiliate marketing on our website and app very soon, promoting products and services that resonate with our users. This would generate a steady income stream, helping fund our operations.
As our user base grows to the 100,000 mark, we plan to introduce a small fee for premium services. This step is based on positive feedback and growing numbers, suggesting that our community values what we offer and is willing to pay for enhanced features. This mix of income sources is set to keep us on solid financial ground as we continue to expand.