Clipping out proofs of purchase and saving them in an envelope for school fundraisers is so turn-of-the-century. The Birmingham-based app Planet Fundraiser speeds up charitable giving to the speed of light, and it recently picked up $1.5 million in a second round of seed funding.
The app lets charitable-minded individuals submit a cell phone picture of purchase receipts to participating vendors, who then donate a portion of the sale to a selected charity or cause. Members of the Alabama Capital Network — a group of top businesses and investors supporting the state’s innovation sector — are sold on the concept and contributed a major chunk of the new financing as Planet Fundraiser scales its sales processes and employee base for market expansion.
“The Alabama Capital Network is thrilled to see its members invest in a company like Planet Fundraiser, ” says Alabama Capital Network CEO Miller Girvin. “This company and its technology have changed the way merchants look at charitable giving, and we expect its current momentum to continue.”
More than 1, 000 community groups and 300 businesses such as Chick-fil-A, Shipt, Jimmy John’s and Piggly Wiggly use Planet Fundraiser’s community giving network. Planet Fundraiser has users currently in Dallas and Nashville, as well as Alabama’s four largest cities, and plans to be in 20 markets by year-end.
text by Dave Helms
