NAVER Happybean Spreads Mature Donation Culture in times of Crisis such as Wildfires, Typhoons, and Wars
NAVER Happybean Spreads Mature Donation Culture in times of Crisis such as Wildfires, Typhoons, and Wars
NAVER Happybean Spreads Mature Donation Culture in times of Crisis such as Wildfires, Typhoons, and Wars
- Happybean donors increased by 12% this year; donations hit record-breaking KRW 14 billion despite the economic downturn
- Amount raised by Happybean Funding and Empathy Store increased by more than 20%; encouraging interest in social enterprises and ethical consumerism
- NAVER Happybean takes the lead in realizing social values based on its ESG program know-how
December 29, 2022
In spite of the economic crisis in 2022, NAVER's Happybean witnessed increased donation activity, as people continued to extend a helping hand during challenging times.
According to NAVER’s online donation platform Happybean, the transaction volume in 2022, including donations, funding, and Empathy Store, totaled KRW 49.8 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year. The number of donors also went up by 12% compared to last year, surpassing 2 million. Moreover, about 470,000 people were first-time donors using Happybean, indicating that the needs of users wanting to send help with regard to domestic and international social issues through online platforms have led to the influx of new users.
From emergency relief to global issues, donors contribute to a range of causes; strong payment donations despite the economic downturn
Throughout the year, public interest in emergency relief and global issues through Happybean increased significantly. In particular, despite the economic downturn, donations to emergency relief efforts for disasters were very active, achieving the largest donation in the history of KRW 14 billion. When a wildfire hit Uljin and Samcheok, 11 donation boxes were made in 7 days, raising KRW 2.2 billion. After the heavy rainfall and typhoon in August, more than KRW 400 million were raised in 20 days, indicating immediate actions for social issues.
More participants showed their support for global issues. More than 50 donation boxes were created to support the victims of the Ukrainian War, raising KRW 1.7 billion, and over KRW 300 million was donated to the World Vision donation program in Ukraine. In addition, donations for global issues, such as the Pakistan floods and the East Africa food crisis, continued.
Participation in SME growth support programs such as funding, Empathy Store, and Volunteer increased significantly; Happybean passes on know-how on ESG practices for other companies
As more users are interested in ethical consumerism, Happybean programs that support the growth of SMEs also attracted attention. “Happybean fundings” that support SMEs with green packaging that reduces plastic waste and free shipping services, as well as “Empathy Stores” that introduce social enterprises through NAVER Smart Store, saw a 22% growth in transaction amount compared to last year. Moreover, more users are trying to engage in public interest activities through the “Volunteer” program that revived after the endemic. One user who participated in the program said, “I found out about the Seoul Upcycling Plaza through this program, and my children had a great time learning about the environment, including upcycling. I am willing to participate in various public interest activities in the future using “Volunteer” program.”
As users pay more attention to the social responsibility of companies, many companies have collaborated with Happybean to realize social values. Inquiries about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting provided by Happybean based on the knowledge accumulated by operating various ESG programs have increased, and programs such as public projects, Double Donation, and Good Action that contribute to the public interest through collaboration with firms have been actively conducted. Happybean plans to upgrade the relevant solutions to work together closely with more companies and organizations.
Yoo Bong-Seok, head of NAVER Happybean Foundation said, “Since its inception in 2005, NAVER Happybean has built a reputation for its trustworthy and transparent operations, becoming a leading ESG (environmental, social, and governance) platform that promotes public interest activities. As more donors express interest in supporting both domestic and global social causes this year, Happybean plans to offer a wider range of participation options for its users."
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