Strategy
Mail.ru Group is investing its technology and experience of creating large-scale internet services into developing social projects in Russia.
Tactics
Mail.ru Group is offering its technologies and expertise to benefit social projects, creating its own infrastructure projects for the promotion of charity, and supporting the development of the multimedia culture in Russia.
Mail.ru Group social responsibility priorities
Developing social infrastructure projects
Dobro Mail.ru
Mail.ru Group operates Dobro Mail.ru – a service for smart and honest charity activities launched in 2013.
launched in 2013
Dobro Mail.ru
The service makes participating in charitable projects across Russia accessible through one-time or regular donations online.
Its smart search system facilitates finding projects in more than 160 funds to make donations. Every fund is verified by Mail.ru Group, publishing financial reports upon completion of every project.
The MAYAK service allows users to find organizations that could provide help to those in need.
And the Dobry Den (Good Day) service allows you to devote your special day to charity.
VKontakte
VKontakte (VK) social network is actively developing its infrastructure VK Charity project.
It helps verified officially registered social non-profit organizations by providing them free VK community promotion tools.
Eligible non-profit organizations can apply with a detailed description of their entity and project. VK picks several applications each month and chooses the right tools to present the projects to the social network’s users.
Educational program
VK has also developed an educational program on using the social network’s tool for promoting charitable projects. For more information, click here. To apply for VK support, click here.
Odnoklassniki
Odnoklassniki is a social network in which people of different generations and social groups communicate. It is important to OK (Odnoklassniki) that all users receive equal opportunities, and that the most important topics for society are widely publicized. To do this, Odnoklassniki regularly carry out social projects and implement charitable initiatives together with non-profit organizations and large media companies.
OK has been working with UN Women since 2017. The same year the social network held a flash mob against gender-based violence where users could share their stories and thoughts through anonymous streaming.
In 2018, OK, UN Women and the Nasiliu.net portal held a live online video discussion with top experts and celebrities on the topic of gender-based violence. The social network is also working together with UNESCO within the UNAIDS program: OK conducted the largest survey in Eastern Europe on HIV awareness with more than 100,000 people polled.
in 2017 there was a flash mob
#япротивнасилия
Donations
OK allows users to make a donation to some of Russia’s largest charity funds, like Podari Zhizn, Russian Stroke Foundation (www.orbifond.ru), Enjoyable Aging (www.starikam.org), AIDS.Center (www.spid.center), and others. The social network offers over 70 funds to choose from, and users can make donations using the credit card attached to their account.
The social network also works directly with Russia’s charitable foundations. A special virtual gift was introduced within the social network with the help of the Podari Zhizn fund. The revenues from the sales of these gifts went directly to the fund.
A similar program was organized with the Vera Hospice Charity Foundation.
in 2018, OK together with the largest museums of the country launched a project
#Музейвслух
OK launched regular virtual tours of Russia’s top museums in Russian Sign Language for users with hearing loss. The social network uses its targeting technology to offer the service
Citymobil
Citymobil is a taxi ordering service founded in 2007. It is available on the App Store and Google Play or simply through calling the company’s operators. The service is accessible in Moscow and the Moscow Region, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Togliatti and Yaroslavl. It is the second largest online taxi booking service in the Russian capital. Citymobil and Mail.ru Group’s charity service Dobro Mail.ru launched a joint social project in August 2019 called Miles of Kindness.
Miles of Kindness allows every passenger to donate ‘suspended’ rides to charity - they will be used by people receiving charity aid from partner funds. Simply choose how much you would like to donate at the end of your journey on top of your regular fare. For example, an individual who has come to Moscow to receive treatment, with your help, will now be able to afford a ride from the train station to the hospital and back. Find out more here: https://dobro.city-mobil.ru.
Maps.me
Mobile app Maps.me now shows clothing bins in several Russian cities. Routes to the nearest containers were mapped with the help of charitable services Dobro Mail.ru and the Vtoroe Dikhanie fund.
A total of 82 bins have appeared on the maps of Moscow, Kazan, Rostov, Kostroma and Yaroslavl. The maps app now also shows the Vtoroe Dikhanie fund’s nearest shops – they accept donations as well. The Maps.me app works offline for your convenience.
Promoting smart volunteering among employees
In January 2019, Mail.ru Group launched the CharityTask project: the company’s employees from various departments offer their expertise in solving the tasks for the benefit of non-profit organizations, and help them pro bono in IT solutions for development, boosting efficiency, and developing strategies to promote projects.
Granting Non-Profit Organizations access to Mail.ru Group technologies
Mail.ru Group is developing technologies and offering them to non-profit and social organizations either for free or under favorable terms.
One of the first projects in this domain was a cloud service for charity funds by Mail.ru Cloud Solutions. The company offered free cloud IT infrastructure to non- profit organizations verified by Dobro Mail.ru.
Cybersecurity
Mail.ru Group stipulates security and user data protection as one of its top priorities in its Data Policy. The company is developing social projects on data protection and cyberbullying prevention.
Mail.ru Group develops and constantly updates effective security systems designed to protect user data for all of its projects, including email, social networks, games, messengers, e-commerce, etc.
Our Data Policy is available here.
Privacy and freedom of expression
We have always been committed to protecting our users’ freedom of expression and privacy. We believe that all users of Mail.ru Group, whether they be individuals or organizations, should have the right to express themselves freely, share their opinions, and have easy access to content.
Our services allow our users to connect with other people and share life’s important moments, and these users should be able to decide for themselves what they want to share and with whom. While operating our services, we respect and promote the rights enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights and respect the comprehensive nature of these rights, including freedom of expression and online privacy, while being in compliance with local laws and regulations.
Development of IT education in Russia
Mail.ru Group is proactively engaged in the development of IT education in Russia. We provide students of Russia’s leading technical universities with the opportunity to major in IT. We also provide occupational guidance for schools as well as holding meetups and competitions for professionals.
How Mail.ru Group selects Non-Profit Projects to support
Dobro Mail.Ru Validation
The fund or non-profit organization is given the green light by Dobro Mail.ru and passed its reputational, professional and security checks.
Mission Compatibility
The project’s mission statement is in line with Mail.ru Group’s mission and social responsibility policy.
Long-Term Effect
The project has a systemic nature and has a long-term effect.
Effectiveness
The project’s results and effectiveness can be calculated.
Partnership
Mail.ru Group becomes an equal partner both during development and promotion of the project.
Useful links
If you want Mail.ru Group to be your partner in your social
project, check its eligibility through the company’s decision-making matrix for providing support.
If your non-profit organization wants to become a partner of Dobro
Mail.Ru, apply here between October 1st – October 30th of every year.
Apply for support from VKontakte social network here.
Apply for your non-profit organization’s verified community at the
Odnoklassniki social network here.
Send your application to [email protected] to be able to receive
donations through Odnoklassniki.
If you or someone you know needs support, the MAYAK service is
available here.