Givt Seeks Feedback from Families Who Have Visited Gathering Place

Van Oort Family Lands in Tulsa

It has been six months now since we closed the door of our home in the Netherlands and moved our family to Tulsa. Together with our 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, Joe and I embarked on this new adventure, not sure what it would bring us, but with a clear vision ahead.

How Givt Came to Be

But first let me tell you how we got here. Our journey started eight years ago in church. As the collection bags circulated, Joe started to wonder why he couldn’t participate in this giving moment without cash. He became frustrated that people without cash are excluded from this special moment in the congregation’s liturgy. And he feared for the future of giving in this increasingly cashless society. 

Thus, Givt was born. For the past years, our mission in the Netherlands has been to enable givers to donate to churches and nonprofits using the Givt app, which facilitates spontaneous giving and preserves the relational essence of cash donations. However,  during this time we noticed that, as giving becomes increasingly digital, it also becomes less visible and less tangible. We wondered: how can we teach our children the habit of generosity when they mainly learn by seeing and imitating?

Arriving in Tulsa

To answer this, we shifted Givt’s focus to families and decided to come to the U.S. But where to land? Our eyes fell on Tulsa – a city with a complex history yet determined to rise above it by fostering inclusivity and generosity. One shining example of this generosity is Gathering Place, a park created through the generous contributions of many Tulsans.

We discovered Gathering Place a couple of years ago on our first visit to Tulsa, and we were blown away by the park: the size, the way it was maintained, the educational and super-fun elements, and the care and love for families that the park radiated. This experience made us realize that Tulsa could be our new family home. And with churches abounding and a community proud of its efforts for others, it seemed the right place for Givt as well.

A New Mission

Now, we are here in Tulsa on a new mission. In 2024, we aim to support 10,000 Tulsa families in teaching their children the value of generosity. We are partnering with a number of churches and nonprofits to create opportunities for parents to actively teach their children about generosity. We’ve introduced the Givt4Families app, which enables the families to donate digitally. Combining this app with the Givt coins makes church giving tangible again. In addition, we launched superhero missions for the families to learn about generosity in a fun way.

Making cashless giving more tangible through GIVT coins

Givt + Gathering Place

We hoped to one day work on our mission together with Gathering Place. And what we hoped for is becoming reality. We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Gathering Place to develop engaging experiences that teach families about generosity. In the last week of July, Givt and Gathering Place are undertaking a design sprint – an intensive, structured process to fast-track innovation. 

I envision my family doing scavenger hunts, learning about different ways of generosity and being challenged to spread generosity in our city. There are endless possibilities for these experiences, and we need your help to shape them.

How You Can Help

We want to hear from families who have visited Gathering Place. Your insights on why you visit, what you love most, and your dreams will directly inform our design.

Can you help us? Click here to sign up for one of the interviews. 

I hope to hear from you and one day join your family on a generosity mission at Gathering Place.