UNHCR x Unbox: Rewarding Advocacy & Creating Stronger Connections between Donors and the Initiatives They Support

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Cole Bartlett

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

UNHCR - Switzerland

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

UNHCR x Unbox: Smart Advocacy program, strengthening the bond between donors and recipients, offering meaningful rewards for contributions and fostering long-term engagement in humanitarian advocacy.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Unbox has announced open-sourcing its Infinity Protocol, allowing the community to build upon our platform. This project will continue that tradition, ensuring that all protocol components of the Refugee Advocacy Loyalty Program are fully open source, enabling further innovation and collaboration within the Cardano and global blockchain communities. 

[METADATA] Horizons

Sustainability

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Switzerland for UNHCR and Unbox are collaborating to build a groundbreaking Smart Advocacy platform that empowers UNHCR donors, to engage more deeply with refugee support efforts.

 

Our solution centers around integrating Web3 token gating and Unbox Smart Tokens. UNHCR can connect, engage and reward donors for their participation and engagement without compromising donor information. This collaboration will bring UNHCR further into the Web3 digital realm using Unbox programmable Smart Tokens.  

Switzerland UNHCR’s vast humanitarian experience will enable this platform to offer a seamless, tokenized reward program rewarding donor contributions and fostering long-term Smart Advocacy. 

At the project's core, the platform will offer token-gated access through a UNHCR-branded experience, enabling users to securely log in, manage their profiles, and claim rewards. The integration of Unbox tools provides a seamless login experience while embedding blockchain functionality behind the scenes. Ensuring users are not required to understand or interact directly with blockchain technology, making the platform accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical background. Leveraging Unbox’s tried and tested go to market strategy for all of its successful projects.  

Smart Advocacy connects donors directly with the causes they support, with the help of Unbox’s Web3 tools. This platform will be connected to UNHCR’s digital hub. Donors can be connected to the impact of their contributions and be rewarded for their advocacy and support. 

 

Key components of the solution include: 

Digital Donation Passport and Identity Tokens:  

• Each donor will receive a Digital Donation Passport. A profile that represents their contributions and engagement with the platform & Switzerland for UNHCR.  
• Digital donor passports will be linked to an Identity Token, which allows for secure identification without compromising personal data. These tokens provide pseudo-anonymity, safeguarding donor privacy while supporting transparent tracking of contributions and engagement.

 

Donor Attribute Tokens:  

• Donor Attribute Tokens will identify users as verified donors, granting them access to additional platform features, including rewards and recognition programs. These are smart tokens and can be programmed so they are non-transferable. This ensures that only legitimate donors are granted specific privileges, enabling them to easily log into their profile, make donations, and engage with exclusive content and experiences. 

 

Donor Digital Receipt – Smart Tokens: 

• When donors make a contribution, they will receive a Digital Receipt Smart Token, an immutable and transparent proof of donation. It can act as a verifiable record of their contribution, which can be shared or displayed as part of their digital identity.  
• The Smart Token provides an extra layer of transparency and engagement, allowing donors to see their impact on the platform and potentially participate in specialized rewards or recognition programs.

 

UNHCR Donor Rewards System: 

• To incentivize continued contributions, the platform will introduce a Donor Rewards Program. Donors will receive a Reward Smart Token upon making a specific donation. This token can be redeemed for real-world items, such as a streaming subscription, branded items offering a tangible benefit for their contributions. 
• This reward system aims to strengthen the connection between donors and the causes they support, fostering long-term engagement in refugee advocacy. 

 

 

Partnerships for Additional Rewards:  

To enhance the donor experience, we will partner with external brands that align with UNHCR’s mission to provide exclusive rewards.

For our pilot, we will partner with a well-known brand to offer meaningful rewards to our first round of donors. This allows us to test the impact of differentiated incentives through donor engagement in addition we will also self-fund rewards as further contributions from Unbox and show our commitment to the cause and the greater Cardano ecosystem. This collaboration will enable UNHCR to explore how specific rewards drive increased contributions and sustained advocacy.  

Our goal is to onboard a non-UNHCR partner brand, Unbox has worked with major global brands across the world including Coca-Cola, Starbucks, BurgerKing, SAMHSA, Enabel, Enersys, AB InBev.

The first batch of donors will receive rewards such as discounts, exclusive offers, or branded merchandise through our partnerships with real-world brands. Reward tokens will be distributed directly to donors upon completing their donations, providing an extra incentive for early participation and increasing the program's visibility. 

 

Scalable Platform for Refugee Advocacy:  

After the initial pilot launch, we aim to expand the platform to support broader refugee advocacy efforts. Switzerland for UNHCR will be able to use the Smart Advocacy platform to experiment with how different types of rewards influence donor behavior, further enhancing the platform’s effectiveness.  

The platform will act as a bridge between donors and the causes they care about, offering continuous value through meaningful rewards and transparent contributions. This will not only increase donor advocacy but also help scale efforts to address the global humanitarian crisis. 

 

Why Smart Advocacy Matters?  

This project introduces Smart Advocacy, an innovative approach that revolutionizes the way donors engage with refugee causes. By leveraging blockchain technology, digital identity tokens, and real-time rewards, Smart Advocacy ensures donors feel directly connected to the impact of their contributions without compromising their privacy or feeling like they are on a mailing list.

Smart Advocacy offers tangible incentives and a seamless user experience, including rewards and recognition, to cultivate lasting engagement. Smart Advocacy enhances the donor experience by making it more transparent, rewarding, and interactive.  

The strength of this project lies in its ability to bridge the Web2 donor community with the benefits of Web3 infrastructure on the Cardano blockchain, without overwhelming users with technical complexity. By leveraging Unbox's powerful tokenization tools, the platform ensures security, privacy, and transparency while providing an accessible and rewarding experience for donors.  

Through this innovative approach, we are creating a new way for donors to feel directly connected to the causes they support, incentivizing long-term engagement and ultimately driving greater advocacy for refugees. 

 

The Smart Advocacy platform will have available a variety of Smart Tokens: 

Identities – User Verification and Onboarding: 

• These tokens represent the digital identity of each donor. They enable secure user verification during onboarding, ensuring privacy and compliance with data security standards.  

 

Attribute Tokens – Donor Characteristics: 

• Attribute tokens are used to signify specific characteristics or statuses of donors. These tokens help identify whether a user is a verified donor and what specific actions they have taken on the platform. They enable personalized engagement and access to exclusive rewards or platform features. 

 

Asset Tokens – Donor Digital Receipt Smart Tokens: 

• Asset Tokens are Donor Digital Receipt Smart Tokens received after a contribution is made. These tokens can also unlock tangible or digital rewards, such as streaming subscriptions or other brand partnerships. Asset Tokens enhance donor engagement by providing unique, verifiable rewards that donors can collect. 

 

Unbox Solution: 

Unbox provides you with the tools to create Smart Tokens that connect and combine the physical and digital worlds. Unbox Smart Tokens allow you to embed your own values into identities, assets and transactions. Ensure secure and programmable interactions that unlock new possibilities for efficiency, transparency and trust. Our platform connects stakeholders, ensuring precise and efficient registration, distribution and exchange of resources through its programmable value carrier, the Ucoin. 

 

We have already proven our concept and business model with our use cases linked below: 

 

• Unbox Human aid (Aid distribution with UNWRA - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/digital-inclusion-unbox-and-united-nations-unrwa-launch-unlitter-gaza) 
• Unbox Litter (Litter collection https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/data-insights-1-million-pieces-of-litter-collected-in-belgium ) 
• Unbox Education (Robin Hood foundation https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-and-foundation-robin-join-forces-to-tackle-educational-inequality-in-belgium ) 
• Unbox Your City (Antwerpen Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/antwerp-ucoin-proves-itself-as-a-booster-for-local-business-in-the-city-of-antwerp ) 
• Unbox Addiction (Gary Indiana https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-launches-web3-wallet-to-combat-opioid-crisis-in-gary-indiana ) 
• Unbox Well Being (Healthy Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/delhaize-and-unbox-launch-the-healthy-membership-program-for-companies-and-organizations ) 

 

Unbox Infinity protocol uses the notion of UCoins whose assets (called UAssets) are governed by rules that specify conditions for minting, burning and transferring between Identities. Additionally, Infinity uses the notion of Identities to denote owners of UAssets. Identities also have rules associated with them that specify conditions under which UAssets can be spent from and paid to said Identities. The concrete application of the protocol is achieved by declaring new UCoin and Identity types along with their associated rulesets that govern the behavior of UAssets. 

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This project will showcase Cardano's blockchain as a tool for global good by demonstrating how programmable Smart Tokens can facilitate engagement and transparency in donor systems. It will attract new users to the Cardano ecosystem by offering a seamless onboarding process that hides the complexity of Web3. The collaboration between UNHCR and Unbox not only adds a powerful new use case to the Cardano ecosystem but also has the potential to ignite a new community of engaged donors in the humanitarian aid sector. 

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Unbox has a proven track record of delivering blockchain solutions, including community currencies and Programmable Smart Tokens. We will validate feasibility through a phased pilot development, starting with a beta platform designing and configuration, development, and testing with users and donors, measuring donor engagement, and technical integration with UNHCR systems. 

Our capability is strengthened by the proven track records of both Unbox and Switzerland for UNHCR. Unbox has delivered transparent, secure blockchain solutions for various community and humanitarian projects. Helping ensure accountability through our past successes. UNHCR’s global reputation and expertise in managing donations and refugee programs guarantee ethical and reliable execution. 

The partnership combines Unbox’s technological innovation with UNHCR’s humanitarian leadership, reinforcing trust. Feasibility will be validated through a pilot phase, tracking donor engagement, token issuance, and feedback.  

Unbox has developed an open-source technology that can imbue virtually anything with memory, conscience, and a forward-looking vision. This transformative capability encompasses a diverse range of assets, from financial resources to tangible products. Emphasizing privacy and security, Unbox technology enables parties to an exchange to exercise control, distribution, and registration of any (un)fungible value. Unbox's platform offers unparalleled versatility, whether it is used for traditional currency or local community currencies, high-value assets like diamonds or semiconductors, or low-value items like plastic bottles or toys using the Unbox Studio software suite.  

  

Use Cases: 

• Antwerpen Ucoin® - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-and-the-city-of-antwerp-launch-antwerpen-ucoin 
• Litter Pickup - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/data-insights-1-million-pieces-of-litter-collected-in-belgium 
• Combat Opioid Crisis - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-launches-web3-wallet-to-combat-opioid-crisis-in-gary-indiana 
• RWA Tokenization Diamonds - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-sustainable-diamonds 
• Humanitarian Aid - https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/digital-inclusion-unbox-and-united-nations-unrwa-launch-unlitter-gaza 

Main Goals:

• Develop and launch a digital advocacy platform that connects donors with refugee support efforts, providing an intuitive donor experience enhanced by blockchain integration. 
• Implement tokenized identity and reward systems that incentivize donor engagement by issuing identity tokens and reputation tokens, which can be redeemed for rewards. 
• Onboard donors through partnerships with brands and reward programs, enhancing visibility and adoption. 
• Deliver a Scalable solution for UNHCR’s global network, creating a sustainable, long-term advocacy tool for refugee support. 

Validation of Feasibility:

Feasibility will be validated through a phased approach:  

Phase #1 – Design & Development  

• Design & build the core platform, ensuring seamless integration of Unbox’s tokenization tools. 
• Develop the Digital Donation Passport system and token-gated login for donor identity management. 
• Create framework for programmability of the Identities, Attribute Tokens, Community Currencies and Asset Tokens. 
• Conduct internal testing to ensure platform stability, data security, UI/UX, operational for token issuance and donation tracking. 

 

Metrics: 

• Successful implementation of token-gated login and profile creation & POC.
• Platform stability measured by internal stress tests.  
• Initial deployment of Identities, Attribute Tokens, Community Currencies, and Asset Tokens. 

 

 

Phase #2 – Onboarding & Pilot Preparation 

Onboard a partner brand to offer a product or service as a reward for early donors. 

• Develop marketing materials and a comprehensive communication plan to ensure successful outreach and engagement during the pilot. 
• Conduct final testing to ensure the platform is fully functional in its Beta form, including identity and reward token issuance, donor engagement features, and the reward redemption process. 
• Finalize platform readiness for the pilot launch. 

Metrics: 

• Successful partnership with a brand offering a tangible reward. 
• Completion of marketing materials and a communication strategy. 
• Final user and system tests with zero critical issues. 
• Platform ready for pilot launch with seamless user experience across all features. 

 

Phase #3 - Pilot Testing 

The beta launch will target a test group of donors with the UNHCR, testing the integration of identity and reward tokens, donor engagement, and reward redemption processes.  

Metrics:  

• User sign-ups 
• Donations 
• Reward redemptions will be closely monitored 

 

Phase #4 Feedback & Review 

We will collect feedback from early users and donors. Helping us review and refine the platform’s features, improving user experience and technical performance. 

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Beta Platform Development (Months 1-3)

Output: 

• A functional beta platform that connects donors to refugee causes, integrated with Unbox tools for tokenized identity and rewards. 

Acceptance criteria: 

• Successful integration of token-gated login system. 
• Creation of donor profiles (Digital Donation Passport). 
• Creation of additional Smart Tokens - Asset Tokens, Donor Attribute Tokens
• Platform stability and security, verified through internal testing and stress tests. 
• Initial deployment of Identities, Attribute Tokens, Community Currencies, and Asset Tokens. 

Donor Onboarding and Pilot Testing (Months 4-5)

Output: 

• Onboarding a partner brand to offer rewards for early donors, and preparing the platform for pilot launch. 

Acceptance criteria: 

• Successful partnership with an external brand offering tangible rewards (or equivalent via Unbox funded rewards)
• Completion of marketing materials and a comprehensive communication plan for donor outreach. 
• Final system testing to ensure identity and reward token issuance is functional, with no critical issues. 
• Platform ready for pilot launch with a seamless user experience across all features. 

Pilot Beta Launch (Months 6-7) 

Output: 

• Beta launch targeting the first batch of donors in collaboration with UNHCR, testing token integration and engagement processes. 

Acceptance criteria: 

• Onboarding of first batch of donors in tandem with UNHCR. 
• Identity tokens issued, and reputation tokens distributed upon donations.  
• User sign-ups, donations, and reward redemptions closely monitored for platform performance and engagement metrics. 
• Positive user feedback on platform usability and reward mechanics. 

Feedback & Review (Months 8) 

Output: 

• Gather and analyze user feedback, and review pilot success. 

Acceptance criteria: 

• Collection of user feedback to improve platform features and user experience. 
• System optimizations based on user feedback to enhance performance. 
• Positive feedback from brand partners on collaboration effectiveness. 

Close-Out Report and Impact Assessment (Month 9) 

Output:  

• Comprehensive project close-out report detailing impact metrics, user engagement, donations, and feedback from both donors and UNHCR. 

Acceptance criteria:  

• Report submitted to Project Catalyst with documented results and potential pathways for platform scaling beyond the initial implementation.  
• Demonstration of positive impact on donor retention and refugee support. 

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

The collaboration between UNHCR and Unbox brings together a diverse and highly skilled team, combining decades of humanitarian expertise with cutting-edge blockchain technology.  

Together, the teams are committed to creating a platform that enhances donor engagement, transparency, and impact, leveraging their respective strengths to address the urgent challenges of refugee advocacy and support. 

 

Switzerland for UNHCR Team: 

Switzerland for UNHCR is the Swiss foundation supporting the work of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Its mission is to raise awareness and mobilize resources in Switzerland to provide life-saving assistance, protection, and long-term solutions for refugees and displaced people worldwide. The foundation works closely with Swiss partners, donors, and the public to support UNHCR’s global efforts in offering shelter, education, healthcare, and other critical services to millions of vulnerable individuals forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and natural disasters.

Alvaro Cosi - Head of Communications & Innovation

Leads digital transformation and strategic communication efforts to support refugees. With over 15 years of experience in communications, marketing, and digital strategy, Alvaro has worked across nonprofit and corporate sectors, driving impactful campaigns and leveraging technology for humanitarian causes. He is passionate about using innovation and storytelling to create meaningful change.

• Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvarocosi/]

 

Unbox the Universe Team: 

The Unbox team is spread across 17 countries and consists of almost 45 professionals including seasoned developers, finance experts, and strategists. We have expertise in several programming languages and frameworks, blockchain technologies, and creating solutions that redefine funding distribution. 

• www.unboxuniverse.com 

 

CEO - Erik Saelens 

Erik Saelens is the CEO and founder of Unbox. He brings three decades of experience in strategy, branding, sales, marketing, and technology. Saelens prioritises driving growth and profitability and is a renowned author and expert on brand-driven M&A and IPO strategies. 

Before founding Unbox, he was the founder and CEO of Brandhome, a strategic agency specialising in rebranding and renaming operations. Saelens led over 350 brand-change operations for blue-chip companies, governments and politicians across Europe, America, the Middle East, and Africa. 

• LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriksaelens/] 

 

CTO - Joeri Torfs 

Condemned to be free, I attempt to balance existence, roles and nothingness on my journey to be authentic. I'm passionate about Self Sovereign identity, privacy, transparency and more broadly the disruption blockchain tech is about to bring to institutions. 

Versatile manager with more than 15 years of experience supporting multidisciplinary teams of different sizes. Technophile, agile coach, trainer and change agent facilitating organisational agility and engaging workplaces. 

• LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeritorfs/] 

 

Head of Development - Benjamin Houdebert 

Software architect, Senior developer, I have a strong background in java, spring, ci, docker (...) but also in architecture and (my favorite) in api design. 

Working with the latest version of java, Quarkus, vert.x and vavr is now a real pleasure. 

Fond of functional programming FP, I do love Haskell and Purescript. 

Even if Rust is not a functional language, imperative, it brings several concept of Haskell making it something very interesting! Honestly this is at the moment my go to language. 

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-houdebert/ 

 

CPO - James Angle 

Pioneering Web3 products that rearchitect financial value chains. Responsible for the design and implementation of multi award winning products that bring value to users and clients in the real world. Working with Government, Brands, NGOs to build and rebuild better societies for the communities we live and work in from the Middle East, Europe and the US. 

• LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesangle0/] 

 

Product Manager – Cole Bartlett 

Helping build innovative Web3 products and communities that redefine value creation through blockchain technology. Co-Author of “Recalibrating Value, Identity & Impact Through the Blockchain," expertise in designing impactful, user-focused solutions that bridge sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and blockchain. A strong foundation in economics and sustainability, collaborated with a variety of projects in the sustainability, blockchain, and AI space helping implement forward-thinking strategies that foster lasting, positive change. 

• Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-bartlett/] 

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The costs are aligned with the high level of expertise and specialization required to integrate Unbox’s tokenization tools with the UNHCR platform. Building a scalable platform that leverages Cardano’s blockchain technology for identity management, donor engagement, and reward systems demands skilled professionals with deep knowledge of the Cardano ecosystem. 

By developing a robust platform that connects donors directly to refugee causes. This project will drive community engagement, increase blockchain adoption, and showcase the power of Cardano’s technology in real-world humanitarian applications. The partnership between Unbox and UNHCR introduces a unique use case that will enhance Cardano’s value proposition globally. 

The costs are justified by the project’s commitment to industry standards, ensuring scalability, security, and long-term impact. The investment represents value for money by contributing to Cardano’s growth, driving innovation in blockchain-based humanitarian efforts, and fostering stronger donor advocacy.