A spreadsheet, then an app, then a community
Saval turns everyday activity into a lasting habit, a real community, and impact that reaches beyond yourself.
Saval started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when founder Shankar Muniyappa and a small group of friends were looking for a way to stay active without the usual crowds. What began as about ten friends quickly ran into the problem every group goal runs into — people drop off. To keep everyone honest, Muniyappa put together a shared spreadsheet: log your own miles or elevation, on your own schedule, no group ride required.
"It all started with COVID," Muniyappa said.
The spreadsheet worked well enough that more people wanted in, and participation kept climbing past what a shared spreadsheet could hold. That growth turned it into a mobile app, and the idea grew with it — from a way to track cycling miles into a nonprofit platform built around local challenges and community chapters. It's open to cyclists, hikers, yoga practitioners, and anyone building a daily activity habit — tracked by distance, elevation, or time, so however you stay active is welcome, not just cycling.
Saval has grown almost entirely by word of mouth since, with little to no money spent on marketing. Today it runs as apps on iOS and Android, supporting well over 400 active cyclists alongside a growing community of hikers, yoga practitioners, daily workout enthusiasts, and anyone else with their own way of staying active — built from that original group of ten.
Four principles behind everything Saval builds
Honor
Commit to honesty, integrity, and fair play.
Respect
We value diversity and respect the unique journey of every participant.
Accountability
Commit to your goals and take ownership of your progress.
Leading supportively
Inspire and motivate others, and help build a strong, supportive community.
Philanthropy is part of how Saval works, not an afterthought
We're dedicated to giving back to the community. Through our challenge-based model and generous sponsors, we donate to qualified nonprofit organizations — every member's activity contributes to that giving, not just their own fitness.
A share of what Saval raises — through memberships, sponsors, and direct donations — goes back to nonprofits that need it, funded by the work our members put in.
Saval is funded by member dues and donations. Membership fees cover the cost of running challenges and the platform members use to track them; sponsorships, reward partners, and direct gifts fund the community programs and charitable giving described above.
Saval Givings, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2020, based in Fremont, CA. EIN 93-3569900.
Saval in the news
Shankar Muniyappa hopes endurance cycling experience will inspire India's fitness community through Saval
A profile on founder Shankar Muniyappa's own endurance-cycling background — rides like the Death Ride, the Pacific Coast, and Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley — and Saval's newest chapter launching in Nagpur, India.
Read the story ↗Real donations, not just a claim
The philanthropy above isn't abstract — here are two of the actual challenge-proceeds donations behind it.
Saval's 2023 challenge proceeds, donated to Akshaya Patra
A real donation letter and check to the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which fights classroom hunger and malnutrition across India — signed by the 2023 operations team, Shankar Muniyappa, Aparna Khan, and Usha Sarathi.
View the letter ↗A year-long fitness challenge's proceeds, donated to Voicopedia
Before Saval was an app, it was this: a Bay Area group of friends running a year-long, honor-system fitness challenge — led by Shankar, Aparna, and Arun — who donated that year's combined proceeds to Voicopedia, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.