This social network encourages something that Facebook never can: daily acts of kindness

Social networking is a pretty new concept and no one really knows how things will shake out.  A quick search of the top social networks—Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Flicker, Pinterest—shows that people have a powerful need to make friends and share their creativity. Maybe people want more, though, and they just don’t know what.

Enter SoRewarding, “a cause-focused social network that integrates giving into your daily activities.” SoRewarding is the brain child of CEO Marion Mariathasan, an immigrant from Sri Lanka.

Mariathasan’s family moved to Kansas from Sri Lanka in 1983, at the beginning of a civil war that would last another 26 years.  He worked three jobs—as a bouncer, a bar tender and a limousine driver—while eventually earning degrees in computer science, architecture and information Systems from the University of Kansas and Emporia State University. 

 Mariathasan says that being from Sri Lanka is a big part of why he ended up developing a social network that focuses on giving back to people who are less fortunate.  “The idea of helping others has always been something that’s been built into me, I suppose,” said Mariathasan.  “When you see poverty, it’s always in the back of your mind.”

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Four years ago, Mariathasan started thinking of how to build a big, long-lasting impact. He saw that there were “about 300 or some charity sites out there that all had the same model.” 

“You go find the cause of your choice, start a fundraiser, invite your friends, raise 10,000 bucks and off you go,” Mariathasan said. Instead, he wanted to make the experience of giving more social, more community-based, and longer lasting than that.

SoRewarding provides more than just a forum for fundraisers: it incorporates apps that facilitate acts of charity through participation in activities like having a birthday party, enjoying dinner with friends, going to a concert, running a marathon, or redeeming a discount at a local business.   

“It’s like Priceline meets Groupon,” said Mariathasan, explaining the feature that first helps a customer negotiate a discount with a local vendor and then designates a portion of the proceeds to support a cause.

Another of the features is customizable Spread Kindness wristbands that can be molded with company logos.  The wristbands contain traching numbers and are meant to be given away in tandem with acts of kindness.  Then, those who receive a wristband can check in on line, enter a tracking number, comment on the act of kindness and pass the wristband on with their own act of kindness.

The central notion of SoRewarding, in Mariathasan’s words, is that, “for most of us here in Colorado, we do better than 96 percent of the people in the world…we need to give back.”

 “It’s designed with everything in mind for [the Denver] community,” said Mariathasan. “But it has also really been designed to be a global product.”

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SoRewarding is doing well by social network standards and by startup standards.  In December 2013, just two years after it launched, it hit one million unique visitors.  It is also getting some big names and deep pockets on board.  Janus Capital just joined and bought 6,000 of SoRewarding’s Spread Kindness wristbands for its employees.  Televisa, the largest television network in Latin America, recently joined by ordering 10,000 Spread Kindness wristbands for a new television show launching in March.  A hall-of-famer from the NFL even approached SoRewarding recently about a partnership.  These organizations not only provide a catalyst for SoRewarding to multiply its user base; they also provide additional potential for transaction-based revenue.

Mariathasan was invited to go speak at the Nexus Global Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City last summer on the topic of philanthropy and technology, because SoRewarding was recognized as one of the most innovative tech companies in that space.  Discussions have begun with the UN foundation and a partnership is in the works.

During the first week of January 2014, the executive team at SoRewarding received two offers three days apart to sell the company. 

“I think we’re probably going to hold onto it, though,” said Mariathasan. “Sometimes the vision and mission of the company get lost, and even though these buyers are interested in philanthropy they’re really looking at it from a business perspective and the cool technologies we’ve developed.  Even though the numbers are great, I feel like we haven’t even begun to skim the surface of SoRewarding’s potential.”