Grateful, a platform for charitable giving, embodies the saying, “We rise by lifting others.” Through virtual giving cards called Grateful Cards™, individuals and organizations make donations to different nonprofit organizations and causes in need.
The app, launched in 2019 by founder Matt Ostanik, helps users connect to over 1.5 million 501(c)(3) charities. The charities range from children’s organizations to disaster relief to animal welfare and many more.
The Inspiration for Grateful
Each day, the news floods us with headlines about concerning events around the world, from hurricanes to child hunger rates. What if you could play a small part in helping a cause that’s meaningful to you?
“The inspiration for Grateful was seeing the growth in apps for so many other services and needs—getting a ride, ordering food, watching a movie, and more,” says Ostanik. “If you can get a stranger to pick you up in their car by clicking a button on your phone, why can’t you also help a person or organization in need just as easily?”
Additionally, online charitable giving is only going to accelerate, rising by 21 percent in the past two years alone, according to the Blackbaud Institute. Technology can help people give from anywhere, and now is a great time to use an online platform for your charitable and philanthropic interests.
Grateful in Action
A Grateful Card™ is a great way to say thank you to someone or express gratitude by connecting the recipient to over 1.5 million charities they could support. The recipient will receive an invitation to access their Grateful Card™ in our iOS or Android mobile app or online.
The Grateful app suggests nonprofits based on your interests and location. If you don’t have a group in mind immediately, Grateful’s GivingAI™ artificial intelligence can help match with causes that fit your interests, saving you hours of research.
In just a few swipes, an individual or organization can contribute to a mission of choice. First, log in and check out the different categories of nonprofits, from arts and culture to public service and military. Then, you can narrow your focus—for example, for public service and military, you can browse through subcategories like firefighters and veterans. You can also find a nonprofit by selecting what your values are, like health or education. Then, give from your Grateful Card balance or an additional amount of your choice. Voilà! You’ve helped a cause in need.
Organizations can use the Grateful Card™ to create a workplace culture of giving or enhance the culture they already have. An organization can co-brand the card with their company’s logo and colors. Internally, a company’s colleagues can decide on a cause the organization wants to support over a period of time, and continue to give to it on a monthly or ongoing basis.
Externally, giving a Grateful Card™ to clients and partners creates a positive impression and helps with relationship building. People want to do business with organizations that demonstrate they care. It is a terrific way for companies to demonstrate its values using the power of giving.
In addition, 91% of people in Grateful’s surveys have said they are more likely to want to work for or do business with companies who are willing to give to a charity that they personally care about, which is exactly what Grateful Cards allow you to do.
Nonprofits are the backbone of Grateful. The app provides valuable exposure to nonprofits, connecting them with individuals and organizations who might not have previously heard of them.
There is no cost to a nonprofit organization to have a profile on Grateful. Nonprofits can also grow their databases with new updates, send updates to followers, and raise money for specific projects and needs. Additionally, the app creates a one-of-a-kind experience by sharing metrics and photos that show the impact a donation makes. You’ll also have a place to store your tax receipts, whether you’re an individual or an organization.
A Community of Giving
However, Grateful is about more than donations. Users also join Grateful’s supportive community and can connect with other individuals or groups who share similar social values, and engage and learn from other community members.
As for Grateful’s own team, we consist of strategists, marketers, developers, and more who truly believe in the power of technology to do good. Our core values are “Heart, Connection, and Giving,” and we partner with organizations that value the same thing.
Grateful also makes it a priority to share the stories of our nonprofit partners, from an organization that provides wounded veterans with service dogs to a nonprofit that focuses on reducing gun violence in Chicago. These are real people with real stories, and we’re here to share them.
“We call ourselves Grateful for a couple of different reasons,” says Ostanik. “First, you’ll be able to see the impact one donation can have on an organization that needs resources, fostering a spirit of gratitude. Secondly, we’re grateful to help organizations around the world, and bring others along the journey. We believe business and technology should have a moral purpose and create positive change.”
Grateful partners with Syverson Strege who has gifted each employee with a $100 Grateful Card™ to give to the organization(s) of his/her choice. We are thankful for organizations like Syverson Strege who advance a culture of philanthropy both through their financial education to clients, but also with their employees.
