By Ada Tseng

The idea of Givology came to Joyce Meng in a dream in 2008, when she was still an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. A child of Taiwanese immigrants, Meng was always acutely aware of the value of education and humbled by the knowledge that millions of children around the world do not grow up with the opportunities she had because of their lack of access to education.

She wanted to create a nonprofit that would help link philanthropists to grassroots academic programs that were working effectively to make quality education accessible to children whose families may not otherwise be able to afford it. But more than that, she wanted to start a movement of giving that would inspire people like her to give back to communities in need around the world. A college student at the time, she understood that many people — youth, especially — may not have much money, but they have the desire to donate what little they can afford, the time to volunteer and the passion to be a part of a greater humanitarian cause.

“Philanthropy should be democratic,” says Meng, now 27. “Oftentimes, if you’re not a big [donor] with big dollars, non-profits don’t give you transparency, and you don’t know how your money is being used. But even if you just have $5 to give, you should have the same choice of where your money goes. Givology is based on the concept of making an organization fully transparent and to give everyone involved a voice.”

Audrey Magazine Summer 2014 Issue – See more at: http://audreymagazine.com/joyce-meng-and-jennifer-q-chen-show-anyone-can-pay-it-forward-with-givology/#sthash.Qz3Vd0Zy.dpuf