In the spirit of revolutionary innovation and invention, two young New Jersey entrepreneurs have pioneered GiveTide, the next generation of mobile fundraising.
Pete and James Ghiorse, 27 and 25 years old respectively, have developed an innovative mobile app that allows anyone to be a philanthropist and seamlessly donate the spare change on everyday debit/credit card purchases. The application rounds up purchases to the next dollar, for example $0.50 on a $3.50 cup of coffee, and automatically donates that money to one or more of the donor’s favorite charities, including schools, hospitals, churches, and nonprofit organizations.
“Our journey started when we realized that the process of making a charitable donation was totally disconnected from the seamless payment experiences we enjoy on other applications,” said Pete Ghiorse, Co-Founder and CEO. “Today, people can buy a flatscreen on Amazon with a click, effortlessly send money to friends using Venmo, and with apps like Uber and Lyft, there is no payment experience at all…users simply get out of the car. Yet when it came to making a donation, the process was much more clunky and fragmented all across the internet. We found that the concept of spare change is a recognizable concept that makes giving more accessible and lends itself toward automation, and thus simplicity. GiveTide eliminates the time, energy and coordination it normally takes to execute and manage charitable giving.”
Making the app user-friendly has been a key ingredient in GiveTide’s early success. A donor on the platform simply connects a debit/credit card, grants the app permission to round up purchases, and sets a weekly cap. From there, users can donate to any nonprofit in the United States. Donors can also make one-time and recurring donations just as easily. Moreover, all donations within the GiveTide are tax-deductible, and the app manages all donations in a single organized place.
“The concept of donating spare change is not a new concept,” said James Ghiorse, Co-Founder and COO. “You see it all the time at department stores and grocery chains, where you are asked to donate to a pre-selected organization. While these organizations are always great causes, they don’t necessarily resonate with all types of donors. As a result, people often feel off-put when they choose not to make that gift. What sets GiveTide apart is that we take the power of the concept and put it in the hands of donors and the nonprofit organizations large and small.”
The GiveTide app is already being used to fundraise by the more than 2,500 nonprofits that have signed up directly. The app has processed tens of thousands of dollars to these nonprofits and has been downloaded over 22,000 times. Moreover, the app has gained recognition from the likes of Oprah Magazine, Parade, Inc., and was recently accepted into the competitive MassChallenge Startup Accelerator.
“GiveTide is a terrific new tool and platform for non-profits and donors alike,” said Eric Manese, a member of the National Board of Advisors at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management and President of Future Legends, a Rancho Santa Fe, CA based nonprofit that provides mentorship and awards scholarships to deserving students in pursuit of higher education. “I believe GiveTide will revolutionize and significantly increase giving within the nonprofit sector based on its simplicity and ease of use in executing the donor’s commitment.”
Pete and James did have a head start in the conception of GiveTide. Their father, Peter Ghiorsi, is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Ghiorsi & Sorrenti, Inc., a long-time leading philanthropic consulting firm in the U.S.
“Growing up, our family kept a big plastic pretzel jug with ‘Helping Hands’ painted on the side,” said Pete Ghiorse. “Every month we would decide as a family where to donate that money. The spirit of philanthropy and giving back has stuck with us throughout every aspect of our lives since, and we cannot imagine a more purposeful way to build our careers.”
About Our Partnership
Working together, GSI and GiveTide aim to advance philanthropy at all levels. GSI specializes in planning and executing comprehensive campaigns and major gift efforts, while GiveTide fosters charitable giving at the grassroots level with its innovative mobile fundraising platform. Together, we enable not-for-profit organizations to expand their base of support, cultivate a new generation of donors, and maximize their philanthropic potential.