Building Bridges with Sokong: Recapping Our Launch and Looking Ahead

Hello there!

I am Eshwaren, the Project Manager at Sokong. Firstly, I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each one of you who graced our launch event on Saturday, August 26th. We are genuinely humbled by the amount of support we received. The event was buzzing with excitement, insightful discussions and laughter. Wonderful atmosphere!

For the team here at Sokong, the dedication and hard work we have invested over the past several months feel wholly validated and cherished, thanks to your positive response. Your encouragement propels us to refine and expand our efforts, ensuring we offer the best for both our beneficiaries and donors.

At Malaysiakini, we have always believed in the power of collaboration and community. During the event, we were thrilled to announce our strategic partnerships with Moving Walls Group, Citizens Journal, Kinitv, Kakitangan.com and Rotary Club Klang Valley. We are grateful for having the opportunity to work together with our friends that share the same mission and passion as Sokong. We would like to extend our appreciation to all of our partners, and looking forward to the lasting positive change we can create together.

During the event, we held a Q&A session. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate some of the answers :

1. Will Sokong assist beneficiaries with copywriting?

Yes, we offer assistance based on our capabilities, utilising Generative AI to enhance the process. Our aim is to bolster the digital presence of smaller organisations with very limited resources. If you require help, please reach out at sokong@malaysiakini, and we will do our utmost to assist.

2. What are your plans to engage donors?

We have begun our marketing initiatives, and this will grow significantly in the coming months. We hope to grow our audience and convert a percentage of them into donors. We are planning out our EasyCSR programme to attract corporate donors, and collaborating with universities to tap into their community. We also plan to release features to empower existing donors to become ambassadors for Sokong.

3. How can beneficiaries receive updates on ongoing campaigns?

We have built a dashboard for our beneficiaries, and have been distributing access in batches. Beneficiaries can use the dashboard to monitor their profiles and activities on Sokong. Besides this, we are working on a suite of notifications, including email and push alerts, to update beneficiaries about events like incoming donations. Automated monthly reports are also in the pipeline.

4. Why did you choose the color pink for Sokong?

Pink symbolises compassion, love, and caring – sentiments that resonate with charitable causes. Its vibrancy promotes user engagement, while its distinctiveness ensures a memorable brand presence.Its universal appeal and design flexibility also make it adaptable for a global audience and various campaign themes. Its emotional and psychological impact complements the altruistic goals of a donation platform.

5. Can donors initiate fundraising campaigns for other beneficiaries?

Currently, no. Although we are keen on the concept, we must ensure user-generated content meets our moderation standards for the safety of all involved. Once those are in place, we will consider introducing this feature.

6. Will Sokong publicly disclose the donation amount received by beneficiaries?

As of now, we do not disclose the total amount received by beneficiaries. We can potentially do this as an optional feature for beneficiaries.

7. Can donors make anonymous donations on Sokong?

At this moment, we require donors to sign in before making any donations. This ensures efficient record-keeping and enhanced technical support. While we value all forms of donations, a registered profile enables more effective communication with donors and encourages donors to come back and contribute with more consistency. Nevertheless, we are exploring options for anonymous donations during physical events.

8. How can beneficiaries issue a tax receipt to the donors?

Currently, Sokong cannot provide digital tax receipts as it is not a standard practice with LHDN. Issuing them would also necessitate revealing donor details to beneficiaries. We are working on finding a solution that addresses these challenges.

9. Can beneficiaries decline donations from specific donors?

No, because the donor’s profile is not shared with the beneficiaries, donors identification is not enabled.

We are quite excited about the journey ahead for Sokong. In the coming months, our focus will be on enhancing the core functionalities of Sokong, ensuring that our donors enjoy an unparalleled experience, both on our mobile apps and website. While the complexity of engineering can be tricky, we are committed to rolling out these updates as quickly as we can. Besides that, Sokong will be marking our presence at various physical events. We hope to see some of you again soon!