I built NGO Connect because a WhatsApp group was solving India's biggest giving problem — and also failing at it

It started in a WhatsApp group

I was part of a WhatsApp group with around 900+ people.

Mostly NGOs. Some donors. A few CSR people.

Everyone had come from different places — referrals, LinkedIn, mutual contacts.

Different states. Different causes.

But one thing was common.

Everyone wanted to help.

What used to happen in that group

Someone would post something like this:

“Urgent — need 20 school bags for a tribal school before Monday. Can share 80G receipt.”

And within a couple of hours:

• Someone would say they can send a few bags

• Another NGO would say they have extra supplies

• Sometimes a CSR person would reach out privately

No long process. No paperwork.

Just people responding.

And this wasn’t rare.

It kept happening.

Clothes being sent to shelters.
Old laptops being reused.
Doctors, lawyers, volunteers offering time.

It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I had seen.

But there was a problem

Actually, many problems.

At first, you don’t notice them.

But over time, they become very clear.

1. The group had a limit

WhatsApp allows only 1,024 members.

India has lakhs of NGOs.

So most people were simply not part of this system.

2. Messages disappeared quickly

If someone posted at night, by morning it was gone.

Hundreds of messages would bury it.

Real needs were getting missed.

3. No proper verification

You never really knew:

• Is this NGO registered?

• Do they have 80G?

• Are they genuine?

Most of the time, things worked.

But sometimes they didn’t.

And when trust breaks, it affects everyone.

4. Collaboration happened randomly

One NGO helping another… that was the best part.

But it was not planned.

It just happened by chance.

There was no system behind it.

Then I realized something important

The problem is not money.

India has donors. A lot of them.

The real problem is this:

👉 People who want to give don’t know where to give
👉 NGOs who need help don’t know how to be found

It’s a discovery problem.

That’s why we built NGO Connect

While building SevaStack, this problem kept coming back.

So we decided to solve it.

What is NGO Connect?

It’s a simple platform where:

• NGOs can post what they need

• Donors can share what they can offer

• NGOs can connect with each other

All in one place.

What makes it different

1. Verified NGOs

Each NGO has proper details:

• PAN

• 80G

• 12A

• FCRA (if available)

So you’re not guessing.

2. Local discovery

People see what’s happening around them.

Because local help is faster and more effective.

3. No limits

Anyone can join.

No group size limit. No restrictions.

What we are trying to do

We are not trying to replace WhatsApp groups.

They still work.

We are just trying to fix what they cannot do.

👉 Make it scalable
👉 Make it searchable
👉 Make it reliable

Final thought

India has always had people who want to help.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is connecting the right people at the right time.

That’s what we’re trying to build.

👉 You can explore here:
https://www.sevastack.in/marketplace

If you run an NGO — post your needs.
If you’re a donor — share what you can offer.

Let’s make it easier to connect.