Giving Compass Harnesses the Power of TPW Alumni

Last year Americans gave over $280 billion to causes close to their hearts. However, most donors spend less than two hours on research to inform their giving, and less than 10% compare organizations. New entrants to philanthropy find it challenging and frustrating to navigate the space.

Larry Leibowitz and Cindy Mercer wanted to change this dynamic and help unlock the power of giving. In fact, Larry’s 2015 TPW project was about building a technology platform to orient and engage new entrants to philanthropy. At the same time, Tricia McKay Lincoln and her client, Jeff Raikes, were wrestling with the same problem.

Glen Galaich, the former CEO of TPW, learned about both efforts and made the connection. With their shared experience at TPW fueling mutual trust, Larry, Cindy, and Tricia quickly recognized they could get farther faster if they worked together. The team’s work spawned the beta launch of Giving Compass, an exciting solution using technology to lead donors through a guided journey to learn, connect, and take action.

Giving Compass is a first-of-its-kind portal to power giving with impact. Its mission is to centralize and curate resources to make it easier for individual donors to give well and to engage them in ways that help inspire. Made possible by a catalytic grant from the Raikes Foundation, guided by an advisory board that includes Larry and Cindy, and in collaboration with Stanford University PACS, Giving Compass is using the power of cloud technology to make a big bet on shaping the evolution of giving in the era of digital transformation.

At TPW, we know that actual impact giving almost never means going alone. It requires the right mix of partners and, thanks to the collaborative spirit of all players, Glen’s connection spawned an ideal partnership. “Larry is an entrepreneur and understands technology, and he is a donor challenged by making his investment count. Cindy is a supreme connector, systems thinker and donor education veteran.

They both understand our audience and are focused on a product that’s of value to donors,” commented Tricia McKay Lincoln. Her client, Jeff Raikes adds, “We are grateful that we’ve been able to combine forces with Larry and Cindy to create Giving Compass. Their knowledge, expertise, connections, and collaborative approach are proving to be invaluable.”

We invite you to join this band of rebel philanthropists on their way to changing the world, one mouse click or mobile finger swipe at a time. Giving Compass is a free online collection of trending news, multimedia resources, nonprofits, funds, events and more. TPW members are invited to join Giving Compass for exclusive benefits including content customization and social sharing. Visit www.givingcompass.org/about for more information.