A group of Latvian creative professionals and supporters of Ukraine developed Stopify – a simple service that allows you to ‘stream’ a small monthly donation to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, helping them end the war started by Russia.
The story behind Stopify
“Over the past several months, we have gotten used to news about the brutal invasion of Russia in Ukraine. The enthusiasm for donations and aid has diminished since the spring, unfortunately. Especially since the support is more crucial than ever. What can we do about this?
While thinking about the ways to raise the interest in donations, we came up with a simple idea. It’s commonplace to subscribe to various streaming services to watch TV shows for the price of a cup or two of delicious lattes. What if we could subscribe to a much more essential convenience — the opportunity to live on a free and democratic continent? The world’s peace and future are at stake now,”
Maris Upenieks, the author of the idea and creative director of the project, told in a comment to AIN.Capital.
After several months of voluntary work with a small team of creative professionals, Stopify was launched.
Important to mention, that the initiative is based on voluntary work of all participants, and the team has literally no budget. The Cube Agency helped with the development, and Ziedot.lv is managing the donated funds.
“The activity of subscribers is a pleasant surprise. During the first 24 hours after the launch, the service raised over €10 000. During the first days – almost €30 000. The metaphor of streaming services is helping to communicate affordability and creating a buzz in the social media,”
Maris Upenieks comments.
How does the Stopify works
- The platform operates on a monthly subscription basis: users select one of three “plans”, which can be changed or canceled at any time: Stopify Light for €6,99, Stopify Regular for €14,99, and Stopify Bold, which allows to set the amount of monthly donations at one’s own discretion.
- Donations go to the special Stopify fund run by the project partner, Ziedot.lv, Latvia’s largest charity organization.
- The funds will be used to buy equipment and other vital necessities for soldiers. While the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia will provide information about the urgent needs of the Armed Forces.
- Feedback about the use of donated funds will be available on Stopify’s social media accounts.
What’s next
According to the creators of the initiative, Spotify will operate until the day of Ukraine’s victory or the signing of a peace agreement on Ukraine’s terms. Meanwhile Stopify is becoming a good way for internet users to support Ukrainians in their struggle for freedom.
If you want to donate for Ukraine, check out all the official and verified initiatives here.
