The founder of new online social enterprise Chooza, is calling for Kiwis with lockdown time on their hands to raid their cupboards, clean out their garage and bring new life to unused or unwanted items – and sell them for a good cause.
Chooza.com invites individuals and businesses to donate items to sell, with the funds from each sale going directly to the charity selected by either the seller or buyer.
Kiwi businesses like Farro, Les Mills, Hunting & Fishing and The Wine Auction Room have listed items featuring their own products and services, with the proceeds of each sale going to several major New Zealand charities that have already signed up – including Big Buddy, Huntington’s Disease, Child Fund, Prostate Cancer Foundation and Mike King’s The Key to Life.
Chooza aims to change buying and selling as we traditionally know it, helping New Zealanders to support more registered local charities too, including schools, churches, and sports clubs.
The platform is the brainchild of Kiwi entrepreneur Stephen Moon, who had the idea to create an online marketplace with an altruistic focus, encouraging kind, thoughtful, and sustainable commerce.
“During these increasingly challenging times New Zealand charities need even more support. We want to start a revolution of generosity that us Kiwis are renowned for,” says Moon.
“Giving makes people happy, or as the authors of the World Happiness Report put it, ‘generosity is clearly a marker for a sense of positive community engagement and a central way humans connect with each other. Our goal with Chooza is to create an organisation that betters our society.”
Moon is encouraging people who have anything to sell to list their items on Chooza and “trade online for good”.
“Raid your cupboards, clean out your garage and bring new life to your unused or unwanted items. Or if you’re a business, Chooza is a great way to use what you sell to make a donation and get a donation receipt too. By using Chooza, you will help raise awareness of the charities you support, or if you can’t decide which charity to receive the proceeds, let the buyer Chooza charity.”
Moon says Chooza can help businesses shape their corporate social responsibility and future philanthropic activity by getting insights from their customers on what charities they want to support.
For charities, Chooza provides a new way to communicate with current supporters and grow awareness of their work to attract new donors. Chooza also provides marketing support to charities to help them with that communication and engagement activity.
“With more than 27,000 registered charities in New Zealand, that’s one for every 180 people in New Zealand. The hardest decision for buyers and sellers will be choosing which one to support,” says Moon.
