Local small biz owners launch app to increase charitable giving

When Daniel Graff, Giveunity co-founder, heard his friend’s—and now, business partner’s—story about how he tried to donate money to a homeless shelter, but couldn’t, he knew something needed to change.
 
“He had seen something downtown that triggered the idea of donating to this shelter,” Graff says.
 
“So by the time he got home and found the shelter on his laptop and he went to their little online website donation page, and it wouldn’t take some of his data, and he had to re-fill out the form, and as he tells it, the dog started barking, had to go out, and the wife came home—long story short—after an hour of trying to give them money and couldn’t, he just gave up.”
 
So Graff and his wife, designers and owners of Graff Designs Inc., and their two friends—both of MOBA Interactive—had dinner and put their heads together to come up with an idea for a smartphone app that allows individuals to donate to a local nonprofit in just three easy clicks.

With the Graffs' design skills and MOBA Interactive partners' technological expertise, the four were able to combine their knowledge to create and launch the app this past February. 

It's completely free for everyone to use, as the four app developers funded the project completely on their own, and within its first 50 days in the app store, it received 1,800 profile views. According to Graff, the top donation so far is $500 dollars, with the average contribution being about $38 dollars; and the money reaches the nonprofit instantly.

"What's been really fun for us is that we've had nonprofits showing up on the app that we didn't even know existed, and that's kind of the idea of the 'explore' section, but I've had my business now for 18 years and just wanted to do something to give back to Cincinnati," Graff says. "We don't always have the funds to donate to nonprofits, but we certainly have the time and talent to build this and give back."
 

Do Good:

• Download the free app today.

• Like Giveunity's Facebook page, and tell your friends.

• If you're a nonprofit, register for free and create your profile and $GiveTag.

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.