Joe Phoenix, co-founder and CEO of Givinga, a Boston-based technology company, says his firm has combined philanthropy and technology to make it easier for donors to access their favorite causes.
Givinga was designed to give donors of all sizes access to more philanthropic options, Phoenix said in an interview yesterday.
Phoenix has been in the financial services industry for 30 years. He created Givinga six years ago as a platform to help donors access more charitable organizations and organize their giving. The platform is available to individuals, but 95% of the firm’s work is with small businesses and large corporations.
“We took the concept of a donor-advised fund, with long-term accounts and planned giving, and wrapped it in technology,” Phoenix said. “The program allows employers to organize their employees giving, match their donations or give to specific causes.”
Because there is no minimum account size, Phoenix said, the program helps democratize giving. He has coined the word “philantech” for his work. The technology allows employers to create individual accounts for employees or to promote particular philanthropic campaigns or issues, among other things.
“Any industry where you add technology gives you more flexibility and the ability to customize. Philanthropy is no different,” he said.
The technology can help corporations be more competitive in promoting their brand to consumers and in attracting and retaining talented employees, he added. When Covid-19 hit, the platform was used to customize giving to particular areas of need.
Phoenix predicted the interest in giving that grew during 2020 will continue.
“Giving will become more proactive in 2021, with year-round planned giving becoming more prevalent relative to more common reactionary giving,” he said in a statement. “The idea is simple: instead of reactively donating to a natural disaster, business leaders will work to solve underlying issues through longer-term commitments.”
Phoenix also said he anticipates companies relying more on technology to support their charitable and fundraising efforts in the future, which will enable more seamless and inspired giving, even as the pandemic subsides.