Bring Light
Encyclopedia
Bring Light, Inc. is an American
company that runs an online web service which helps charities reach new donors and raise funds. It is also a social network
for donors to find charitable projects to support and to help those donors make a bigger difference by getting others involved.
Melissa Dyrdahl was previously Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications. Drew McManus was Director of Corporate Product Management. They co-founded Bring Light out of a desire to help non-profits better market themselves.
The site opened to beta testers in early May 2007. The service officially launched at the Netsquared Conference in San Jose, California
on May 29, 2007.
database. All charities on the Bring Light website have been individually screened after completing an application to establish presence on the site. Charities have access to a special Charity Resource Center with tools to manage their fundraising and to interact with donors on the site.
to donors who might not otherwise qualify. This enables donors to deposit funds for later donation while getting the immediate tax benefit. Most donor advised funds have minimum deposit requirements of $10,000 or more, while Bring Light's minimum is only $5.
and Bruce Chizen
. The company remains privately held.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company that runs an online web service which helps charities reach new donors and raise funds. It is also a social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
for donors to find charitable projects to support and to help those donors make a bigger difference by getting others involved.
Origins
Bring Light was founded in November 2006 by two former executives of Adobe Systems, Inc.Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
Melissa Dyrdahl was previously Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications. Drew McManus was Director of Corporate Product Management. They co-founded Bring Light out of a desire to help non-profits better market themselves.
The site opened to beta testers in early May 2007. The service officially launched at the Netsquared Conference in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
on May 29, 2007.
Charities
Unlike many other charitable giving services, Bring Light does not rely on the GuidestarGuideStar
GuideStar USA, Inc. is an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit companies. In 2010, their database contained over 5 million IRS Forms 990 filings on 1.9 million organizations.....
database. All charities on the Bring Light website have been individually screened after completing an application to establish presence on the site. Charities have access to a special Charity Resource Center with tools to manage their fundraising and to interact with donors on the site.
Projects
Rather than giving to a charity's general fund, donors can direct how their dollars are used by giving to a specific project.Giving Groups
Donors can form Giving Groups to sponsor specific charities or projects. Giving Groups can track their donations to see the aggregated results of their giving.Donor Accounts
Through a partnership with the American Endowment Foundation, Bring Light delivers the benefits of a donor advised fundDonor advised funds
A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle administered by a public charity and created for the purpose of managing charitable donations on behalf of an organization, family, or individual...
to donors who might not otherwise qualify. This enables donors to deposit funds for later donation while getting the immediate tax benefit. Most donor advised funds have minimum deposit requirements of $10,000 or more, while Bring Light's minimum is only $5.
Business model
Bring Light charges charities a service fee for their use of the site for fundraising. There are no upfront fees, but charities pay based on the amount of funds raised. The service fee is determined on a sliding scale, with the largest service fee being 10% of funds raised.Funding
Bring Light was initially self-funded by the co-founders. Later, they took on several angel investors, including Ron ConwayRon Conway
Ron Conway is an American angel investor, often described as one of the "super angels". Conway is recognized as a strong networker and is based in Silicon Valley.-Early career:...
and Bruce Chizen
Bruce Chizen
Bruce R. Chizen was the chief executive officer of Adobe Systems, based in San Jose, California. Chizen lives in Los Altos, California with his wife and children.- Career :...
. The company remains privately held.
Recognition
Melissa Dyrdahl and Drew McManus are featured in the book We Are the New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World, by Julia MouldenJulia Moulden
Julia Moulden is a Canadian author, speaker, speechwriter and communications consultant who is based in Toronto. She has published two books and has written and been featured in several periodicals, newspapers and other media.-Books:...
.