The story behind Humanitive

 "As a child, my heart would skip a beat every time a beggar came close to the window pane of my car or I’d see an underprivileged child playing in the dirt on the footpath. That’s when I decided I want to make a change and do whatever in my power to give the underprivileged a better life. My life purpose became to stand up for issues that I believe in and to contribute positively to my community. I want to leave the world knowing that I made it a better place.", says Sonarika Mahajan, the founder of Humanitive. 

Having a creative side, she was fascinated with media and its impact it could have through powerful narration, characters and storylines. Following this passion, she graduated in Marketing and Advertisement from Lancaster University, holds a diploma in Animation and Film Making from Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics and an Entertainment Business Management degree from Vancouver Film School.

 "Despite work opportunities in Canada, my heart always knew that I needed to return to India and make a difference, in my own way no matter how big or small, in the lives of people here. The gap between the rich and the poor is unimaginable here and I knew I needed to dedicate my life’s work to benefit the less fortunate." Sonarika said.

 Around 2018, she had her eyes and ears open for ideas to begin an endeavour that would help her accomplish her life purpose and make philanthropy creative. Soon enough, God showed her light when she received a gift from her husband, that planted the seed for Humanitive. Her husband Nikhil decided to collaborate with an orphanage & arrange lunch for 100 underprivileged children. He recorded a video of the lunch and emailed it to her. That was by far the best gift she’d ever received. "As I felt immense gratitude seeing those kids all happy and joyful, I wondered why this wasn't done more often – and took it upon myself to make donations a gifting alternative across the country," said Sonarika. 

The whole journey of planning and executing Humanitive was filled with challenges. It was a very unique business model so she didn’t have any framework that could be followed. 

"I was very clear from the beginning that despite being a For-Profit Organization, Humanitive’s bottom line is not only to earn a profit but to make a difference through our Non-Profit collaborations and donations. I feel that getting this across to our customers and target audiences have been the biggest challenge." Sonarika confirmed. 

Considering all the important aspects, they have given utmost importance to Transparency for each donation that is made on their platform. They have a stringent screening process in place for their partner Non-Profits, so people can donate with confidence. Post each donation, they share video documentation of the beneficiary thanking the donor and showing the donation taking place. 

Apart from this, they also provide the donor with a 100% donation receipt, that acknowledges the fact that Humanitive only acts as an intermediary between the donor and Non-Profit. They don’t charge any commission from our Non-Profits, or from the donors on the donation amount. 

"In fact, if you notice our promotional discount of flat Rs.150 we have going on at the moment, we explicitly mention that the discount amount will be deducted from our profits and not from the donation amount.," states Sonarika. She further added that, "Humanitive is completely aligned with my vision and mission in life. I can’t wait to get to work every day because I know the kind of impact, we are creating with the sale of our gift boxes."

 Each purchase is either helping an underprivileged child get quality education, providing medication to a destitute elderly, or ensuring there are food and water for a stray dog. With Humanitive, they are making a difference in the world and that’s enough reason for them to keep going.

Humanitive was launched on November 1st, and they are so overwhelmed by the support of their family and friends. Currently, they are working hard to spread the word about Humanitive and accustom people with the concept of Cause Gifting.

 "I feel it is so important to have a purpose in life. It enables you to live a value-based life. A life purpose is what tells us when we’re on the right or wrong path, and helps us find and connect with others who share our way of viewing the world. My purpose has guided me throughout in my personal and professional life, and made it easier for me to make crucial life decisions." Sonarika explains.

 Lastly, her advice to everyone is to always be a resourceful and proactive person. Believe in yourself and your ideas, even if they feel impossible to execute. Go on believing anything is possible, network with people to make it happen and ASK FOR HELP (you’ll be surprised to know that there are more good people who want to help others grow than the bad ones!).