BREAKING: Classy Reaches $1 Billion Raised for Social Good

We’re excited to announce that today, just over seven years since our launch in 2011, nonprofit organizations on the Classy platform have collectively raised $1 billion for social good!

That’s $1 billion raised toward responding to disasters, advocating for human rights, curing disease, fighting injustice, protecting our environment, and so much more.

And the Classy community isn’t slowing down. It took us approximately six years to raise our first $500 million on the platform, but only 14 months to raise the second $500 million. It was done one donation at a time, millions of times, from people of all backgrounds and cultures in 190 countries around the world. Take a look:

So, What’s Next?

The impact that the social sector has on the world has never been more important. Yet at the same time, the sector faces some very real fundraising and technology challenges that have, in many cases, held it back from achieving its full potential.

Our goal is to help fix that by working closely with our 4,000 nonprofit partners to accelerate the pace of innovation in the sector. We’re laser-focused on bringing you world-class technology that increases your capacity, strengthens your sustainability, and maximizes your impact. This is core to what we hope to achieve together as we raise the next $1 billion and beyond.

Our recent fundraising report, The State of Modern Philanthropy, shows that recurring donors are over five times more valuable than one-time donors. That’s five times more funding towards your mission. Yet, less than five percent of our nonprofit partners have dedicated recurring giving programs.

In light of this opportunity, we’re setting a bold goal:

Classy is committed to (at least!) doubling the number of recurring donors on the platform by the time we’ve raised our next $1 billion.  

We see an undeniable value in helping you grow your recurring donor base. And when you pair that value with broader supporter trends and the growth of the subscription economy, it reveals a massive opportunity for nonprofit organizations to build new forms of scalable and sustainable revenue that can power their impact like never before.

So as we forge ahead together, expect us to double-down on our recurring giving roadmap, and we’ll be sure to keep the Classy community updated along the way.

The Journey to $1 Billion

We started Classy as fundraisers ourselves, raising money for the causes that were near and dear to our own hearts in the San Diego community. The idea for our platform was born out of a personal need to make giving easier and to help nonprofit organizations connect with the next generation of supporters.

Today, as we cross $1 billion raised on the platform, this same core purpose still rings true in everything that we do. From the impact of the platform itself, to our various social initiatives like Pledge 1%,  ClassyGives, and the Classy Awards, we are more dedicated than ever to advancing the important work of the social sector.

But, as excited as we are to look toward the future, it’s days like today when it’s most important to reflect back on the journey. Check out just some of the amazing customers and milestones we’ve seen along the way:  

Our journey together has been nothing short of inspiring. As we close this chapter and start a new one, our team at Classy wants to extend a huge thank you—to our customers, and to all the individuals that support them, whether through individual donations, recurring gifts, fundraising efforts, or volunteering. Thank you for your dedication, for your passion, and for your tireless efforts to change the world for the better.

You are the reason we’re at this milestone, and we’re honored to be your partner both now and into the future. Onward and upward!

Scot, Pat, Marshall, and Joe