[Saomai] Global Charitable Network: Blockchain Based-on, Fully Transparent, and Community Led

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

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

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Julia Vega

Nguyen Thi Huyen Tran

Quoc Tuan

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

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

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

The main goal of the SaoMai app is to make the process of donations more efficient, transparent, and trustworthy for both donors and charity organizations via the benefits of blockchain technology.

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

[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?

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

The project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Horizons

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The weaknesses in current charitable activities have been highlighted in several high-profile reports:

• During Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the American Red Cross (ARC) raised millions to help those affected but fell short of their promises. According to National Public Radio (NPR), the ARC raised $488 million for the Haiti earthquake relief efforts, yet only 25% of this went to helping victims, with the remaining 75%—around $366 million—being spent on internal expenses, far more than initially disclosed.
• Autism Speaks, which claims to support autistic children and their families, has also been criticized. According to the Autistic Advocacy Network (AAN), only 3% of the funds raised go to “Family Services,” their core mission. While 32% of the money is allocated to research, a significant 60% is used for fundraising and internal campaigns, leaving only a small fraction to actually improve the quality of life for autistic people.
• The Kids Wish Network, a charity that claims to raise money for terminally ill children, spends only three cents on the dollar to help children. The rest is directed toward enriching the charity’s directors and for-profit fundraising companies they hire.
• Fashion for Relief, a charity founded by Naomi Campbell, has also faced scrutiny. An inquiry report revealed that while the charity raised nearly £4.8 million over five years, only 10% of the £4.6 million spent on charitable activities went to partner charities. The rest was spent on expenses such as hotel stays, flights, and spa treatments that were inappropriately charged to the charity.

Source links:

• CavsConnect - Charities: A World of Corruption
• The Guardian - Naomi Campbell's Charity

The Problem:

There is a global need for a platform that ensures automated and transparent management of charitable donations. Many donors want confidence that their contributions are used effectively, but existing systems often lack the transparency to provide this assurance.

Our Solution:

We are developing Saomai, a blockchain-based platform that allows users to create, share, and manage charitable campaigns with full transparency. It will enable users to:

• Track donation flows in real-time
• Verify the results of charitable efforts
• Ensure funds are allocated appropriately through community-driven mechanisms

Saomai App Features (Version 1):

• Campaign creation for charitable causes
• Real-time balance updates
• Automatic closure of donation campaigns upon reaching target goals
• Verified reporting of charitable outcomes and distribution of donations
• Community-based validation of campaign results

We will begin by testing Saomai with users in Vietnam, collecting feedback to refine the platform.

Planned future developments include:

• User identity verification
• International expansion for cross-border donations
• Integration with multiple banks to allow global users to send/receive funds
• Decentralized Identity Verification (DID) for trustless identity management
• Smart contract integration for secure and automated donation handling
• Governance features to empower community-driven decisions

Conclusion:

Saomai aims to revolutionize charitable giving by creating a decentralized platform that ensures transparency, trust, and global participation. It aligns with Cardano’s mission of using blockchain for real-world impact, bringing trust and efficiency to the charity sector.

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

The success of Saomai will bring significant value to the wider Cardano community by showcasing the power of blockchain in driving transparency, accountability, and social impact in the charitable sector. As a blockchain-powered, community-driven platform, Saomai will demonstrate how decentralized solutions can solve real-world challenges, enhancing the reputation of Cardano as a leader in ethical and transparent technological innovation. The project will engage both donors and influencers, building a network of trust that could inspire similar applications across different sectors, thereby expanding the utility of Cardano’s ecosystem.

We will measure impact both quantitatively and qualitatively:

• Quantitative metrics: Number of charitable campaigns launched, total funds raised, number of verified donations, number of users onboarded (locally and internationally), and the success rate of community-verified campaigns.
• Qualitative metrics: User feedback on platform transparency, ease of use, and the trust level between donors and campaign creators, as well as case studies highlighting successful charitable campaigns.

To share outputs and opportunities, we will publish regular reports with key metrics and success stories. We will also open-source relevant aspects of the platform’s smart contract and governance components, enabling other developers within the Cardano community to build upon or adapt these solutions for their own projects. Furthermore, we will collaborate with Cardano-based forums, developer groups, and social channels to promote knowledge sharing and engagement across the community.

[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?

Our team is uniquely positioned to deliver Saomai DAO, backed by years of experience in both software development and charitable activities. We have developed numerous critical systems for banks across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, ensuring that we possess the expertise needed to handle high-stakes, secure, and reliable financial operations. These skills translate seamlessly into the blockchain space, where we’ve already demonstrated our capabilities by building various applications within the Cardano ecosystem.

Proven Track Record in Blockchain and Cardano Development

• bWork: A smart contract based HR platform built on Cardano
• cReport: Catalyst analyzer & KPIs
• PaaS: Classified Smart Contracts for Distinct Use Case dApps

Expertise in Charity and Social Media Engagement

Our team is also composed of active members of charitable organizations in Vietnam. We have firsthand experience with the challenges that charity efforts face, particularly in terms of transparency and fund mismanagement. This understanding has shaped our approach to developing Saomai to address these pain points, ensuring that donors can trust where their contributions are going.

In addition, we are connected with YouTubers, TikTokers, and Facebook influencers, which will allow us to promote Saomai effectively across social media platforms. Our connections make it easy for us to reach a wide audience, ensuring strong community engagement and adoption of the application.

Steps to Ensure Trust and Accountability

1. Smart Contract Fund Management: All donations will be managed through smart contracts, ensuring transparency. Funds will only be released once the community verifies that the intended charitable actions have been carried out.
2. Blockchain Transparency: Every transaction will be publicly recorded on the Cardano blockchain, and our system will offer real-time tracking of donation flows, accessible to all stakeholders.
3. Decentralized Governance: Through SMAI token governance, the community will have direct input on fund allocation and key decisions, further ensuring accountability.
4. Strong Ties to the Charity Community: Our longstanding involvement in charity activities provides us with insights into common issues like misallocation of resources, allowing us to design Saomai in a way that avoids these problems.

By combining our extensive technical expertise, deep understanding of charity challenges, and our strong social media presence, we are confident that we are the best team to deliver Saomai DAO with the highest levels of trust, accountability, and transparency.

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

Core Backend & Database Setup

A: Milestone outputs

• Develop the backend infrastructure for Saomai, focusing on creating the core APIs needed for the MVP version of the application.
• Set up a secure and scalable database to store user information, donation records, campaign data, and transaction histories.
• Implement user registration and authentication functionality.
• Develop API endpoints for key functionalities such as real-time balance updates, campaign creation, and donation tracking.

B: Acceptance criteria

• Backend system is fully operational and connected to the database.
• Secure user registration and authentication processes are functional.
• API endpoints are accessible for creating campaigns, managing user accounts, and tracking donation transactions.
• Backend can handle real-time data interaction with the frontend.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A demo video showcasing the use of APIs for campaign creation, user account management, and donation tracking.
• Database schema documentation.
• API documentation and testing reports verifying functionality.

Frontend User Interface Development

A: Milestone outputs

• Design and implement the user interface for the Saomai MVP.
• Create user-friendly dashboards for campaign creation, viewing campaigns, tracking donation balances, and submitting campaign updates.
• Integrate real-time balance and transaction data fetched from the backend API.
• Ensure responsive design for both desktop and mobile users.

B: Acceptance criteria

• The frontend is fully functional and connected to the backend, allowing users to create campaigns, view donation progress, and track real-time balance updates.
• The design is responsive, ensuring usability across devices.
• Real-time donation progress and campaign statuses are displayed accurately on the app interface.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A demo video of a user navigating through the app, creating a campaign, and tracking donation balances.
• Frontend design mockups and the code repository link.
• Usability and responsiveness testing reports.

Donation Flow Automation & Campaign Management

A: Milestone outputs

• Implement donation flow logic, including the ability to create and manage campaigns, track donations, and automatically close campaigns once the funding target is reached.
• Build a feature to stop further donations when the campaign target is met.
• Enable users to submit campaign results (images, videos, or reports) after the completion of a charity effort.
• Set up notification functionality to alert users about campaign progress and donation status.

B: Acceptance criteria

• The donation flow is fully automated, with campaigns closing automatically when the funding target is reached, and no further donations are accepted beyond the limit.
• Campaign creators can submit and update campaign results, with the community being able to view the updates.
• Users receive real-time notifications about campaign updates and donation status.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A demo video showing the full campaign creation process, automatic closure upon reaching the goal, and submission of results.
• Documentation detailing the donation flow and campaign outcome reporting.
• Test reports confirming the functionality of the notification system.

Community-Based Validation System & MVP Launch

A: Milestone outputs

• Implement a community validation system that allows users to vote on whether the campaign outcomes have been fulfilled.
• Develop a voting interface for community members to verify and approve the results of charitable campaigns.
• Launch the MVP to a controlled group of users, focusing initially on influencers and donors in Vietnam.
• Collect feedback from the MVP launch to refine the platform and plan for further development.

B: Acceptance criteria

• The community validation system is live and allows users to vote on campaign outcomes.
• The MVP version is publicly accessible to a controlled user base.
• User feedback is collected and analyzed to improve the platform and user experience.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A demo video showing the community voting process and campaign verification.
• A report summarizing user feedback and engagement data from the MVP launch.
• Logs of user activity, including registration and campaign participation, from the MVP test phase.

Nami Wallet Integration & Asset Display

A: Milestone outputs

• Integrate the Nami wallet, allowing users to connect their wallet to Saomai and view their balance and assets (e.g., ADA, DJED, and other Cardano-based tokens).
• Display wallet balance and assets in the user dashboard, showing real-time data from the connected wallet.
• Ensure that the wallet connection and balance retrieval functionality works consistently across multiple sessions.

B: Acceptance criteria

• Users can successfully connect their Nami wallet to the platform.
• Wallet balance and assets are displayed in real-time on the user’s dashboard.
• Wallet connection and asset display functions properly without errors during multiple sessions.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A demo video of a user connecting their Nami wallet, viewing balance, and accessing details of their assets.
• Documentation and validation reports for the Nami wallet integration.
• Logs confirming successful wallet connections and asset display.

Project Close-Out Report & Final Video

A: Milestone outputs

• Final project report summarizing milestones, achievements, and lessons learned during the development of the MVP.
• A close-out video demonstrating the fully functional MVP, highlighting key features like campaign creation, donation tracking, and community validation.
• Roadmap for future development and scaling, including plans for expanding to more countries, integrating with additional wallets, and implementing governance features.

B: Acceptance criteria

• The final project report is submitted, detailing all completed milestones, outcomes, and any challenges encountered.
• A close-out video is produced, showcasing the MVP from start to finish, including user registration, campaign creation, donation flow, and validation.
• A roadmap is provided outlining the next steps for the project’s growth and scaling.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• Submission of the final project report and close-out video.
• User engagement metrics and activity logs from the MVP testing phase.
• Documentation of the planned roadmap for future development.

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

Our team consists of a diverse group of experienced professionals who bring expertise from blockchain development, charity work, frontend/backend development, and social media content creation. Each member is committed to the success of the Saomai app and its goal of bringing transparency to charitable donations through blockchain technology.

Mr. Julia Vega (Leader)

• Role: Project Lead, Charity Operations
• Experience: Julia has been involved in Catalyst since Fund 10 and has 5 years of experience in charity activities, organizing over 100 charity trips and assisting more than 10,000 people in need. Julia's experience in the charitable sector ensures that the Saomai app will meet the real-world needs of donors and recipients alike.
• Social Link: Facebook Profile

Ms. Huyen Tran

• Role: Application Testing and User Experience Validation
• Experience: Huyen has been part of Catalyst since Fund 7 and has extensive experience with blockchain-based projects. She will lead the testing of Saomai’s key features to ensure functionality and usability for the end-users.
• Social Link: Facebook Profile

PaaS Development Team (Smart Contract Developers)

• The PaaS development team specializes in smart contract development, proficient in languages like Plutus and Aiken. They have successfully delivered Catalyst-funded projects such as bWorks.app, cReport, and PaaS.
• For PeerLearn, this team will develop the custom smart contracts that enable secure peer-to-peer interactions and payments between learners and educators on the platform.
• Telegram: PaaS

Mr. Luong Anh Tuan

• Role: System Architect, AI/ML Specialist
• Experience: With a Bachelor of Science in IT from FPT University in Ha Noi, Tuan specializes in AI/ML and blockchain technology. He will oversee the information system architecture of Saomai, ensuring scalability, security, and integration with AI-driven tools.

Mr. Le Hong Phuong

• Role: UI/UX Designer, Frontend Developer
• Experience: An expert in user interface and user experience design, Phuong will be responsible for designing the Saomai app to be intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly, ensuring a seamless experience for both donors and charity organizers.

Mr. Vu Quoc Tuan

• Role: Social Media Content Creator and Strategist
• Experience: Tuan is a social media content creator who has successfully developed and supported multiple TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook channels. He will handle the media outreach and communication strategies for Saomai, ensuring the app’s visibility and engagement across digital platforms.

We have built the Saomai app together and will launch it in October. You can follow and experience the app at https://saomai.network/app/download

Additional Recruitment

We plan to recruit additional developers and marketing specialists to support the expansion of the app post-MVP stage. These individuals will bring expertise in:

• Backend Development for scaling the platform.
• Marketing and Outreach to promote Saomai to a global audience.
• Community Managers to foster engagement and trust within the user community.

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

Milestone 1: Core Backend & Database Setup

Total Milestone 1 Cost: 5,800 ADA (~4.83% of total)

• Backend infrastructure development: 4,000 ADA
• Database setup and cloud hosting: 1,800 ADA

Milestone 2: Frontend User Interface Development

Total Milestone 2 Cost: 10,000 ADA (~8.33% of total)

• Frontend development (React, responsive design): 7,500 ADA
• UI/UX design and mockups: 1,200 ADA
• Testing & QA for frontend usability: 1,300 ADA

Milestone 3: Donation Flow Automation & Campaign Management

Total Milestone 3 Cost: 11,000 ADA (~9.17% of total)

• Donation flow automation & campaign management: 8,500 ADA
• Notification system: 2,500 ADA

Milestone 4: Community-Based Validation System & MVP Launch

Total Milestone 4 Cost: 15,500 ADA (~12.92% of total)

• Validation system development: 6,000 ADA
• Marketing and community engagement: 5,500 ADA
• MVP launch and testing: 4,000 ADA

Milestone 5: Nami Wallet Integration & Asset Display

Total Milestone 5 Cost: 8,000 ADA (~6.67% of total)

• Nami wallet integration: 5,500 ADA
• Wallet integration testing & QA: 2,500 ADA

Milestone 6: Project Close-Out Report & Final Video

Total Milestone 6 Cost: 30,700 ADA (~25.58% of total)

• Project report and analysis: 3,500 ADA
• Video production: 2,500 ADA
• Final testing and optimization: 8,000 ADA
• Future roadmap development & scalability planning: 16,700 ADA

Additional Budget Considerations

• Legal and compliance services (contracts, privacy policies): 5,000 ADA
• Accounting and financial management: 3,000 ADA
• Contingency fund (10% of total): 12,000 ADA

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Total Budget: 120,000 ADA

We have two proposals for the comprehensive development of this application, aimed at serving users as soon as possible. Please vote YES for us. Search for 'Saomai' on the Voting App, and you will find these two proposals:

[Saomai] Smart Contract System Ensures Transparency In Charity Activities Globally

[Saomai] Global Charitable Network: Blockchain-Based, Fully Transparent, and Community-Led

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

The proposed budget for the Saomai MVP represents excellent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem due to its careful cost structuring and efficient allocation of resources. Our budget is aligned with industry standards for software development in Southeast Asia, where developer costs are significantly lower than in many Western countries, allowing us to accomplish more with fewer resources.

Cost Efficiency & Proportionality

• Developer Costs: The backend and frontend development costs have been benchmarked against average freelance and full-time developer rates in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, which typically range from $20-40/hour. This ensures that we are receiving high-quality work at a fraction of the cost compared to other regions.
• Milestone Allocation: By allocating no more than 15% of the total budget to Milestone 1 (infrastructure setup), we are maximizing the cost-efficiency of our initial development work. The majority of the budget is focused on key milestones that will directly contribute to a working MVP, with the final milestone accounting for more than 25%, ensuring robust testing, community validation, and project completion.
• Lean Infrastructure: We have prioritized lean development, utilizing cost-effective cloud hosting solutions, open-source technologies, and efficient frameworks (e.g., React for frontend) to keep costs low while maintaining flexibility and scalability.

Cardano Ecosystem Value

This project introduces a globally relevant, blockchain-powered solution that tackles transparency and trust in charity donations—an issue of growing importance. By demonstrating successful use cases for smart contracts, community-based governance, and decentralized identity (DID), the Saomai MVP will attract attention to Cardano’s capabilities, positioning it as a leader in the blockchain-for-good space. This could lead to increased adoption of Cardano technologies across social impact sectors, adding value to the ecosystem.

Our project’s cost-to-impact ratio ensures that every ADA spent contributes to a meaningful, real-world application with the potential to scale, adding continuous value for both the Cardano network and its global user base.