Doing Tangible Good with Tangible Goods

MyFiki looks to give back to nonprofit organizations in a new way.

By Anthony Bucci, Assistant Editor  On Jun 6, 2016

For Tara Fardellone and Rafik Tawadrous, co-founders of in-kind donation platform MyFiki, giving back to communities and charities was always part of their personal DNAs. However, the two saw a need to do more for nonprofit organizations that don’t necessarily have the resources to do more for themselves.

So, Fardellone and Tawadrous decided to start Montclair-based MyFiki in 2015 to help provide nonprofit organizations with supplies and a network of support to better aid those in need.

MyFiki, which is an acronym for “My Fundraising Initiatives Built on Kindness and Involvement,” was “founded because we wanted to find a tangible way for any individual, of any financial situation, to give back in a way that was transparent and simple, while giving nonprofit organizations more of a voice and platform to let people know what their needs are,” Fardellone says.

Nonprofit organizations can log on to MyFiki’s website and create a free personalized profile that includes its mission, photos and a “wish list” of items and supplies that it needs. Donors can then visit an organization’s profile and click on a “needed” product, which will direct them to Amazon.com. The donor can then purchase the item via Amazon, who will then ship it directly to the organization.

“In many cases, there is a negative stigma with giving cash to charity, because donors aren’t exactly sure where their money is going,” Tawadrous says.  “With MyFiki, tangible goods, like food and clothing, are purchased by the donor and are delivered directly to a charity’s door by Amazon. This way, donors know their donation is actually having an impact and become inclined to give more.”

Due to the fact that items are purchased and sent through Amazon.com, MyFiki receives an “advertising commission” of approximately 3 percent on the total cost of each product. However, of that 3 percent, the company gives 2 percent back to its nonprofit partners and uses the remaining 1 percent for its operating expenses and other costs.

“When a donation is made through us, charities not only get the items they need, but they become part of a profit sharing network from the 2 percent we give back to them,” Fardellone says. “It can help pay for other costs they may accrue in running a nonprofit.”

MyFiki currently has two dozen nonprofit organizations based out of eight different states signed up on its website. It hopes to have “at least one charity from each of the 50 states on board” within the next year.

“We want to establish this company as not only an opportunity to help charities receive in-kind donations, but to form a community where these organizations can rely on one another and help each other out,” Tawadrous concludes. “Our goal is to make a difference and inspire people. We think this company can do that.”

 

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