Nonprofits looking to engage with their donors and volunteers often have different goals than traditional marketers and companies. Donors want to see where their money is going, learn about new ways they can help and attend events that celebrate their cause.
Cherryfish is a new app the helps make charity more efficient, streamlining how donors interact with charitable organizations.
“Cherryfish’s name is just a combination of 'charity' and 'efficient,'” said co-founder John Doheny. “What we're trying to do is provide technology and provide it a place where it's easier for both individuals and organizations to support the charities that they love.”
The app isn’t just a way to send money to support charities. Unlike GoFundMe, Cherryfish is only open to nonprofit, tax deductible organizations. And it’s also about more than just the money.
Organizations can post news and stories that reflect their missions, update donors on the progress of various initiatives, organize events and engage volunteers. By inspiring donors with content and events, charities can attract more engaged donors who truly support the mission.
“For me, any organization I've played a part in, it always started at an arm's length where I just heard a cool story about what that organization was trying to do,” Doheny said. “As I heard more and more about it, maybe I would go to an event and get drawn in. Then, once I kind of got bit by the bug and became passionate about it, I would start to spend more of my time volunteering or give some of my money through donations.”
So far, the company has worked with organizations like Special Olympics Illinois, 360 Youth Services and Naper Settlement. Instead of creating one-off apps for each charity, the app is a one-stop-shop for all their needs. Organizations can pick and choose which elements they will use, but have plenty of options at their disposal.
“Every charity has some technological need that isn't currently being met,” Doheny said. “But each one of them is a little bit different. It isn't that there is a complete lack of resources for charities, but there's a lack of cohesive resources for charities.”
Right now, new charities would need to contact Doheny’s team directly to set up an account, but in the future, Doheny sees it being an open process. Accounts are free, with Cherryfish taking a small fraction of each financial transaction to create revenue. The company is self-funded by Doheny and his father, who is also Cherryfish’s co-founder.
Image via Cherryfish.
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