A knock on your door: Share at Door Step is here to help you donate your old belongings!

Share at Door Step makes sure your used items do not end up in landfills and get a new life by donating them to people who are in need while focusing on making it a sustainable business model for them. 

Naya saman toh le liye abb purane saman ka karenge kya? Ever had this thought and felt puzzled about what to do with your old clothes, toys, books, or anything else you own? Well, we all face this dilemma at some point in time, just like Anushka Jain did when she questioned her mom for donating her clothes to the same NGO every birthday. Her mother didn't have a specific reason for it, but when Anushka's entrepreneurial spirit was ignited by this curiosity, Share at Door Step - a material donation social enterprise - was founded.

Share at Door Step (SADS) is a social enterprise founded in 2014. In this fast-paced world where people lack time but still wish to contribute to society positively, SADS provides a solution. When the brand's founder was in college, she saw this as an opportunity to fuel her passion and realize her dream of starting an impact-driven business. Being from an engineering background, she developed a tech-driven model where individuals could donate their personal belongings, and NGOs could receive the items they needed.

The organization supports over 135 NGOs and operates in 11 cities: Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, and Bangalore. Scheduling pickups is managed by a unique algorithm that matches the requirements of NGOs with the materials donated by individuals. Anushka explains that if someone wants to donate books, they simply need to fill in basic details on the website. The algorithm then identifies the NGO in need of books on a priority basis, and the donor is promptly informed. The donation process is now much smoother and integrated, but the journey was challenging in the early stages of the business. Anushka recalls, 'We initially had around 250 volunteers, but it wasn't sustainable as their availability was limited, and customers demanded timely pickups. So, we partnered with delivery companies to enhance scalability. Our goal was to make the donation process as simple as ordering food online.

But how is this a business if people donate?

This might be the most common question in our minds when we think about such initiatives. Share at Door Step (SADS) was started with the aim of focusing on the initiative while also aiming to build a sustainable business model. However, it was a long journey for them to figure out. Therefore, they charge customers a convenience fee for pick-ups. The cost starts at Rs. 199 for light pick-ups and goes up to Rs. 699 for heavy objects. This covers their basic expenses such as operations, pick-up costs, and platform fees. However, to make it a profitable venture, they mainly focus on programs for brands and corporates.

Brands collaborate with them to integrate the process of donating into their customer experience, such as through circulatory initiatives where customers can donate unwanted items after shopping. For example, if anybody shops something from Mini Klub, they can donate items not required by them. With corporates, they engage in employee engagement initiatives where employees receive free pick-ups for donations covered by the companies.

People are always skeptical about such initiatives, wondering where their donations are going. To maintain complete transparency and assurance, customers receive a confirmation email stating which NGO will receive their donation. Corporations receive an impact report from the brand detailing all NGOs that received materials, the types of donations made, and the social and environmental impacts created.

"Apart from pick-ups, if anybody wants to personally visit the NGO and donate their belongings, we have a 'Drop Off' option where they can directly go to the NGO and donate," says Anushka, emphasizing transparency. To enhance the user experience, SADS is developing an AI model where customers can take a picture of their wardrobe, and the AI will determine which items can be donated and generate a report. So, whenever you have extra items lying around your house, know that Share at Door Step is there to ease your job."