FlipGive is a free team funding platform that makes raising money a breeze. Teams earn cash back for buying the things they already need. Get paid whenever you shop, dine out, book hotels or activities.
The Toronto-based startup has reinvented the way teams raise money by blending e-commerce and fundraising models. FlipGive started as a grad school project among three friends pursuing their MBA, and now the company has helped raise more than $20 million for youth sports teams across the U.S. and Canada.
Hockey dad, co-founder, and CEO Mark Bachman estimates the budget for just one of his son’s hockey teams is nearly $80,000 and uses the platform himself. Since the early days when the company was worth nothing more than a final project grade in grad school, Mark has overseen a period of rapid growth.
Under Mark’s leadership, FlipGive has grown to more than 20 full-time employees to support the platform’s more than 578,000 users and 35,000 teams that rely on the team funding app to help them raise money for their teams and clubs. FlipGive’s users can earn money for their team by shopping at thousands of brands, ranging from Nike, WalMart, and Buffalo Wild Wings to Home Depot and Dicks Sporting Goods.
The problem FlipGive is trying to solve is a very real one: Youth sports are increasingly expensive and fundraising sucks. Consider:
• More than 60% of North American families spend between $1,200 and $6,000 per child annually on youth sports
• 20% of families shell out a whopping $12,000 annually per child.
• Last year, nearly 70% of children from families making more than $100,000 played team sports, according to the Aspen Institute. That figure is nearly cut in half for families making less than $25,000.
Recently, FlipGive announced a $5 million Series A funding round led by Framework Venture Partners that will help FlipGive continue to accelerate its growth across the U.S. and Canada and further revolutionize how youth sports, member organizations, and clubs fundraise.
With further participation from iGan Partners and FJ Labs, the investment will fund talent growth, the development of enhanced product features, and the addition of brand partners to enrich the value members receive from the platform. Funding will also support increased marketing and provide resources for member acquisition.
“We have only scratched the surface of what is possible in the world of team-sport and club fundraising,” says FlipGive CEO and Co-Founder Mark Bachman. “With this investment, we will be able to provide our service to a larger, more diverse group of members and give them access to the tools they need to raise funds quicker and easier than ever before.”
To learn more about FlipGive or create a team fundraising page to begin earning money for your team today, visit www.flipgive.com.