Portland startup Field Day released its software platform for general availability to help connect companies and community nonprofits that are looking for volunteers.
The startup has been running a private beta in Portland with 16 companies and 40 nonprofits.
“Now more than ever, employers are looking for ways to attract, retain and energize talent through programs that create connection between their people,” co-founder and CEO Eli Blackman said in a written statement. “With Field Day, employers can actively support both employees and local nonprofits through meaningful and data-supported social impact programs."
Field Day was founded in 2021 and is based on the experience of community engagement that Blackman and co-founder Jason LaPier saw when they were employees at Portland’s Elemental Technologies, which was eventually bought by AWS.
The duo created a marketplace that connects companies of all sizes to local nonprofits that have volunteer opportunities. The platform not only gives employers the discovery tool but also event coordination, social impact tracking and reporting. Companies pay a subscription fee to access the tool.
The nonprofits, who can create profiles on the platform for free, get a volunteer management tool and a way to track relationships with businesses and data that can be used for funding applications. Blackman noted that early users found the software helpful for rebuilding corporate relationships lost in the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Throughout the pandemic, a lot of our business relationships fell off the map. Reconnecting has been difficult," said Tim Merrill, volunteer supervisor and education content organizer at Lan Su Chinese Garden, in a written statement. "Field Day fills that gap of connecting us, as a nonprofit, with businesses that want to engage their people through volunteering.”
Field Day is a team of seven and Blackman is hiring strategically for a few key roles. Last winter, the startup raised a round of funding from Defy.vc and local investors Cascade Seed Fund and Voyager Capital.
The startup is converting beta customers into paying customers, but Blackman expects to start raising another round soon.
The Portland market is the current focus. Blackman plans to roll out new geographies in an intentional way to ensure the platform doesn’t grow too fast. He doesn't see the customer-acquisition or fundraising strategies shifting even as the macro-environment changes.
“We are focused on the execution and hitting the milestones we said we would hit when we raised the initial round,” he said. “When we raised, the environment was a little bloated. We didn’t get caught up in that. We were early, and we still are so early (stage), that we believe we can demonstrate we will be a strong investment for this next round.”
As for customers, Blackman said companies have put new focus on human resources and employee engagement as they navigate hybrid environments and look to retain workers.
“Being able to engage employees in a way that makes them feel connected to the company and each other and have that level of relationship and accountability that drives them to want to keep working together remains a critical issue,” he said.
It’s also a way to bring people together who might not all be in the office at the same time anymore. Portland legal-industry software maker Zapproved has been part of the beta program.
“While we've been intentional about culture at Zapproved from the beginning, transitioning to remote underscored a need to revitalize our employee programs and bring people together with a joint purpose," Zapproved CEO Monica Enand said.
