Ray of Approval proposal
Verification badges for power users: building trust, boosting transactions
I lead a team of tenured software engineers and data analysts through the development of this award-winning feature proposal. We took first place at the 2023 GoFundMe Spring Hackathon in San Diego, impressing a panel of judges including executives and peers with our proposal's creativity, potential impact, and viability.
Objective:
Think of those checkmark badges you see online next to someone's username on social media. These have become a ubiquitous indicator that the user has been verified in some way by the platform, which improves trust between users and increases interaction. Like most companies, we also do a lot of behind-the-scenes checks to make sure everything runs smoothly, but because this information is not made public in any way, it's a missed opportunity to leverage existing checks to extend those benefits to the customers.
To boost trust between campaign organizers and donors, we proposed creating a "Community Builder" badge. This badge would appear on campaigns run by people who have gone the extra mile: they've verified their identity, and they're actively building strong communities using GFM products.
Why did this win?
Boosting trust: Donors could feel more confident giving to campaigns with the badge, leading to more donations and shares.
Encouraging community building: The badge recognizes organizers dedicated to leveraging GFM to raise funds for important causes, inspiring others to do the same. This connects the company's mission to its users' lives meaningfully.
Making organizers proud: Verified organizers will feel valued and appreciated for their efforts, fostering a stronger connection with GFM and their potential donors.
Building a better platform: By learning from these "Community Builders," we can make GFM an even safer and more supportive place for everyone.
Giving you peace of mind: Knowing we're actively checking organizers behind the scenes should make users feel confident about the GFM brand.
In short, the "Community Builder" badge is my way of saying, "We all have each other's back! Let's build a stronger, more trustworthy GFM together."