Through digital media, events, data and more, American Inno is building the largest network of local innovation, cultivating engaged startup, tech and entrepreneurial communities in 11 (and counting) markets across the country. In a new bi-weekly series, Inno’s writers will collectively select an industry or theme and highlight a local startup operating in the space.
For the uninitiated, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving has been dubbed "Giving Tuesday." It's an event considered "a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration." This year alone, participants have already raised more than $300 million in 150 countries.
With numbers that big, getting involved can seem daunting. On the event's official site, however, organizers encourage those interested to get involved by examining local charities and other groups that are doing good work in their ecosystems.
Those "other groups" are often startups, or entities that have a similar ethos.
"... In recent years philanthropic ventures have begun adopting the technological know-how and scrappy mentality of startups to develop a new breed of lean nonprofits," a Forbes article on the rise of the "charitable startup" states.
Written in 2013, the piece heralded a truth that was up-and-coming then and even more real today: These kinds of organizations are growing in influence and popularity, so much so that in 2017, WeWork pledged to give $20 million over 10 years via competitions gained at galvanizing the social impact entrepreneur, charities and other nonprofits.
"We believe giving is receiving," WeWork founder and CEO Adam Neumann said of the move. "We believe that in taking care of everyone, we’re going to take care of us."
Below, the Inno newsroom celebrates Giving Tuesday and creators and organizations who share this charitable mindset by highlighting startups that are making a difference in their ecosystems and beyond.
MADISON // ATLANTA INNO
I can’t say enough good things about Purposity, an Atlanta-based nonprofit startup. It works like this: Once someone signs up online, they’ll get a notification via their phone once a week about current, local needs in their city. All organizations that post needs on the site are triple vetted and are from renown organizations, like local school systems and legitimate nonprofits. That way, users know their money is going to a real need in their community. And, the costs of listed needs are minimal, with the average on the site being about $40. Additionally, users get notified immediately that the need they donated to has been met.
The company is launching a mobile app later this month, and has notable ATL backers, including former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake and a recent sponsorship with Georgia Power, which has started using Purposity for their employee giving campaigns. Once the app has launched, the company is looking to scale to other areas, so you can plug in your zip code and meet a need instantly. I love this concept so much that I personally use it.
BRENT // AUSTIN INNO
Austin is a giving city. When Uber and Lyft left town for a while, a nonprofit ride-hailing service sprung up that lets you round up your fare to give a little change to a charity. When Hurricane Harvey flooded coastal Texas, Austin startups and founders quickly raised money for relief efforts. But I think the charitable startup that best fits the spirit of Giving Tuesday is COCObundle, a platform that lets nonprofits register for what they need — kind of like a wedding registry — so donors can easily give to their favorite groups and fill specific needs. The nonprofit startup just came out of beta. Since its initial launch earlier this year, COCObundle has worked with AIDS Services of Austin and Lifeworks. For Giving Tuesday, it has three new campaigns: Housewares for residents at Integral Care’s Housing First Oak Springs project; Magna Tiles and microscopes for Joslin Elementary School; and a new campaign with AIDS Services of Austin.
LUCY AND SRI // BOSTINNO
When it comes to giving back, every second counts, as does every penny. That’s why Gravyty, a Boston-based provider of AI-enabled fundraising software, wants to the take the weight of researching and obtaining donors off of fundraisers’ shoulders. Co-founded by two Babson MBA program alumni, Gravyty is leveraging the huge amount of data fundraisers and nonprofit organizations have in their database to understand who, among major and mid-level donors, is more likely to make additional donations. This year, Gravyty closed its second round of funding worth $2 million — and it certainly looks to fit the part of "the future of fundraising," as its tagline says.
KATHERINE // CHICAGO INNO
Percent Pledge, which launched on Giving Tuesday last year, has been helping millennials and their employers give back in a more seamless way and make the entire process more transparent. To do this, Percent Pledge matches donors with charitable giving portfolios filled with various nonprofits that support causes like women’s rights, health care and veterans. Users can then enter their financial information and choose how much money they want to give on a daily basis. Percent Pledge then provides weekly or monthly reports to donors that allows them to monitor the progress of the charities they’ve donated to.
COURTNEY // CINCY INNO
La Soupe! A graduate of the Flywheel Cincinnati social enterprise incubator, La Soupe uses food waste to make “delicious and highly nutritious for customers, nonprofits and food-insecure families.” Founded by Suzy DeYoung in 2014, the company utilizes 5,000 pounts of perishables and serves an estimated 3,000 servings via 47 partner agencies. Its work is a beautiful example of how to marry passion with mission.
NICK // COLORADO INNO
I'm keeping an eye on PocketChange, a University of Denver startup that makes donating to a cause as simple as clicking a button. The company has created an internet extension that adds a PocketChange donate button to Facebook, Twitter, and news sites. By clicking the button, it pulls up a list of potential charities you might be interested in donating to, based upon the story or post you were reading. Donations range from $0.25 to $2, and the company uses Paypal and Stripe to ensure safe transactions. The company has partnered with 100 select charities on the platform, vetting them to ensure donations are most impactful.
KIERAN // DC INNO
Do you ever have that awkward moment in the checkout lane of a grocery store, where the clerk asks if you want to donate to a certain charity and you have to decide on the spot? Parvenu recently launched in D.C. to try fixing that interaction with an app. Instead of a retailer asking customers to donate to a single pre-selected charity, Parvenu’s software will recommend a charity aligned with a user’s shopping habits. And for added inspiration, when you choose to donate, a progress thermometer shows the total amount raised toward a goal.
MADDY // MINNE INNO
Look no further than Finnegans. For nearly two decades, this local brewery has been giving back to the local community through “barstool philanthropy.” By way of its community fund, Finnegans brews beer, sells it through restaurants and liquor stores, then uses the profits to buy fresh, local produce for food shelves. It also has two “reverse food trucks” where people are encouraged to make donations instead of purchasing food. These trucks have raised nearly $200,000 since their launch. Earlier this year, Finnegans partnered with local coworking space Impact Hub to form the FINNovation Lab, a social business incubator and community workspace.
COURTNEY // RHODE ISLAND INNO
Rhode Island has a lot of companies with a lot of heart (Alex & Ani and Hasbro are first that come to mind). But I'd like to focus here on Beautiful Day, the Providence-based granola company that’s been around for more than 10 years. Any organization that makes high-quality snacks is great in my book, but this one — started by campus ministry worker Keith Cooper — stands out for other reasons: It’s run almost entirely by refugees in an effort to give them both work and the opportunity to better prepare themselves to enter the workforce.
“People can do something about refugee resettlement; it doesn’t have to be this problem on the other side of the world that is too big to be a part of,” Cooper told Rhode Island Inno. “That’s why I want to be selling granola bars. You might think this problem is too big, but by making a small choice about what you eat for breakfast or for a snack, you can provide crucial on-the-job training for someone who otherwise can’t get a job.”
KIERAN // RICHMOND INNO
For three years, 17-year-old Richmond high school student Jocelyn Marencik has been running Got Tec! Richmond, an initiative that brings technology equipment to underserved schools throughout the region and teaches students and educators how to use those tools. The nonprofit launched in January 2016 when Marencik donated two Chromebooks to elementary school teachers, and has since donated more than $30,000 in tech equipment to schools throughout the greater Richmond area. The young founder was a Prudential Spirit of Community state honoree and received a Karma for Cara grant this year, among other distinctions.
JIM // WISCONSIN INNO
Venture With Impact is a travel startup that helps workers volunteer while working abroad. The startup arranges your travel accommodations, connects you with workspace, and matches you with volunteer opportunities so you can give back to the local community that you’re visiting. Based in Milwaukee, Venture With Impact is a graduate of gener8tor’s gBeta program.
