AS the world moves online, so too has our money. Soon, the days of having a pound or two in your pocket to give to a charity box on the street will be gone – but not the desire to make a positive change. Loral Quinn, chief executive and co-founder of Sustainably, believes that all people want to make the world a better place but, in this digital world, they don’t know where to begin.
“People do want to do good, but there isn’t an effortless way to do so in day to day life,” says Quinn. “While how we use digital products has advanced in leaps and bounds, the way we give to good causes hasn’t.”
That’s where Sustainably comes in. Every time a user makes a cashless purchase, the platform rounds up the transaction and donates the spare change to the user’s chosen charity.
Currently, there are over 15 billion cashless transactions in the UK every year alone, with one in 10 adults adopting a near cashless lifestyle. For those aged 25 to 34, this statistic rises dramatically: one in six never use cash. Coupled with sound evidence that the youngest generations (generation Z and millennials) are the most generous charity donators, it’s clear to which demographic the company’s model caters.
“Generation Z and millenials give £2.7 billion to charity each year,” says Quinn. “With over 11 million people, they make up the largest group in society – and they want to give to good causes and see the impact their donations create.”
The Edinburgh-based company is proof that giving can still be part of a cashless life. It was founded in 2015 by Quinn and her daughter, Eishel Quinn. Users accessed the first version of Sustainably through a web browser and connected their profile with their Monzo bank account.
Now, the company is set to launch its own app in app stores later this month. In the app, users will be able to set a limit on how much they want to donate every month and receive impact updates each time they give.
Before founding Sustainably, Quinn was head of digital for an investment company where she helped scale the company from six to 30 countries. There, she became inspired by fintech companies and how technology creates novel approaches to old problems.
She says: “Acorns, an investment and savings app, inspired Sustainably’s round-up model. “We were also inspired by purpose-driven companies like Toms Shoes, where each purchase creates social good, and apps like Pokémon GO where users interact with their environment.”
As a “tech for good” company, Sustainably is part of a growing movement of companies that use technology to create environmental, social or economic change.
In 2016, Quinn travelled to California for Silicon Valley Scale (SVS), an immersive growth programme, alongside a cohort of ambitious tech for good leaders. There, she met with business leaders and investors from some of the world’s most recognisable brands.
Since then, Sustainably has amassed support and attention from critical business people and firms. Sir Richard Branson named Sustainably his startup of the year in 2019 and Quinn was chosen by Insider as one of its 20 Women to Watch in 2018. In 2017, Sustainably also won Best of Show at FinovateFall – a largescale fintech conference in New York.
This momentum doesn’t show any signs of slowing as the company gears up for the launch of the app. Currently running from a web-based app (Sustainably.co), this next phase for the company is perhaps the most crucial: increasing visibility. However, reaching this socially-engaged, cashless group is easier said than done.
Events like Impact Summit, the UK’s leading impact event, are critical for companies like Sustainably to get their brand and message to a like-minded audience. Held in Glasgow, Impact Summit is a platform for companies and business leaders using purpose-driven business models to tackle global challenges to come together and share ideas.
In 2019, Quinn spoke at Impact Summit about how vital it is to find business partners who understand your company’s mission and what you are trying to achieve. Sustainably is proof that those socially responsible partners are out there – the company currently partners with 13 banks in the UK and supports 23 charities, including Macmillan, LGBT Youth and Social Bite.
“Events like Impact Summit are so inspiring,” says Quinn.
“There are so many collaboration opportunities with people and amazing products that are creating a huge impact.
“It’s about building great partnerships that will enable us to scale.”
Impact Summit 2020 takes place at SWG3 in Glasgow on May 20. For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.impact-summit.org
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