What Waggle does

Waggle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to emergency veterinary care funding. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Hadlyme, Connecticut (with the firmographic record also referencing Essex, CT), the organization operates at a lean scale of 1-10 employees. Its platform routes donations directly to verified veterinary providers rather than pet guardians to ensure fund integrity and prevent misallocation, with the core mission of eliminating "economic euthanasia" — the practice of euthanizing pets whose owners cannot afford veterinary treatment. The platform operates as a multi-product ecosystem anchored by the core crowdfunding engine, with a Giving Circle tiered donor membership ($500 to $10,000+), the FurEver Fund monthly recurring donation feature, Disaster Relief emergency response, Waggle Shop e-commerce (15% of purchases support the mission), gift subscription functionality, and a Resource Center for educational content.

The underlying technology stack includes a direct veterinary payment system, structured event logging for deterministic audit trails, automated hospital verification for veterinary provider onboarding, and AI-powered analytics for measuring longitudinal animal welfare outcomes. Distribution relies on a robust sponsor and celebrity network including pet medical insurance leader Trupanion, the endowed Maddie's Fund, and celebrity ambassadors Mayim Bialik, Miranda Lambert, and Alicia Silverstone, alongside embedded community platforms such as The Animal Rescue Site and Dogs of Instagram. The GTM motion is community-led, leveraging celebrity credibility, corporate matching grants, and the tiered Giving Circle to drive recurring donor acquisition.

Revenue mechanics flow through individual one-time and recurring donations, corporate sponsorships with matching grants, and e-commerce affiliate revenue, with no fees charged to pet guardians or animal welfare organizations for campaign creation. Since inception, Waggle has raised over $5 million cumulatively through donors and sponsors, funded more than 20,000 animals (with 3,000+ companion animals funded in 2025 alone and $2.2 million raised that year), reached 100 million people with its economic euthanasia awareness message, and built a partner ecosystem of 1,500 animal welfare organizations and 2,500 veterinary providers. Founder and CEO Steven Mornelli leads the organization, which operates as an independent 501(c)(3) with no parent entity or equity ownership structure.

Name

Waggle

Legal name

Waggle Foundation

Website

https://waggle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Waggle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit crowdfunding platform that routes donations directly to verified veterinary providers for emergency pet care, serving individual pet guardians, animal welfare organizations, and veterinary clinics across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Crowdfunding

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ)

Keywords

• Veterinary crowdfunding platform
• Emergency pet care funding
• Animal welfare donations
• Recurring pet fundraising
• Nonprofit pet rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Essex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors supporting emergency veterinary care campaigns. Monthly FurEver Fund donors receive exclusive benefits based on giving levels.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with pet-related brands (Trupanion, Maddie's Fund, Greater Good Charities) who sponsor individual campaigns and provide matching contributions
3. E-commerce Revenue: Shop Waggle e-commerce platform where 15% of every purchase supports the nonprofit mission
4. Named Fund Programs: Giving Circle program with tiered membership ($500+ Advocates, $1,000+ Champions, $2,500+ Benefactors, $5,000+ Visionaries, $10,000+ Best-in-Show) offering exclusive benefits
5. Matching Grants: Real-time matching grant capabilities that enable doubling or tripling of donations to amplify philanthropic impact

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Waggle operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit crowdfunding platform that enables pet guardians and animal welfare organizations to raise funds for emergency veterinary care, with donations routed directly to verified veterinary providers rather than to pet owners. The platform is supported by a tiered Giving Circle recurring-membership program, a monthly FurEver Fund, disaster relief campaigns, an e-commerce shop donating 15% of purchases, and a Resource Center of educational content. All campaigns use direct-to-vet payment rails with audit trails and hospital verification to prevent fund misuse.

Product overview

Waggle is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to animal welfare and veterinary care. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem centered on its core crowdfunding product, which routes funds directly to verified veterinary providers to prevent misallocation. Supporting the core platform are the Giving Circle membership program (with tiered levels from FurEver Friend to Best-in-Show), the FurEver Fund monthly recurring donation feature, Disaster Relief emergency response capabilities, the Waggle Shop e-commerce store (with 15% of purchases supporting the mission), Gift a Subscription for gifting donations, and a Resource Center providing educational content for pet guardians, donors, and animal welfare organizations. The platform has raised over $5 million through donors and sponsors and supported more than 15,000 animals in need.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waggle Crowdfunding Platform Nonprofit crowdfunding platform that enables individuals and animal welfare organizations to raise funds for emergency veterinary care, routing donations directly to verified veterinary providers to ensure transparency and prevent fund misallocation.
• Giving Circle
• FurEver Fund
• Disaster Relief
• Waggle Shop
• Gift a Subscription
• Resource Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5 million raised through donors and sponsors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• TrupanionflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPet medical insurance provider and platform sponsor. Founded 1999, the largest pet medical insurance provider in North America. Partners with Waggle to provide care for cases lacking insurance coverage. Sponsors multiple campaigns including Trigger (kitten), Mustang (puppy), Amber (kitten), and Bunny (puppy) with starting contributions and matching funds.
• Mayim Bialik FundflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCelebrity fund established by actress Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory). Provides matching grants for pet medical care campaigns. Actively promotes Waggle mission to expand animal welfare impact through her personal brand and social influence. Sponsored campaigns include Sassy (fire rescue), Maggie (breeding dog rescue), Starro, Cocoa, Lilly, and many others.
• MuttNation Fund (Miranda Lambert)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic community and pet welfare fund established by country music star Miranda Lambert. Supports music community members impacted by Covid-19 with pet medical bills, senior pet owners, and disaster-affected pets. Provides matching grants through application process.
• Alicia SilverstonecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerActress and animal rights advocate sponsors Waggle campaigns through Wolf Pack program. Provides starting contributions and matching funds for sponsored pets including Durk (parvo puppy), BooBoo (senior corgi), Taco, Meeka, Riot, and Jax.
• Maddie's FundflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily foundation created in 1994 by Workday co-founder Dave Duffield and wife Cheryl, endowed with $300+ million. Awarded $237.6+ million in grants toward community lifesaving, animal welfare leadership, foster care, and shelter medicine education. Partners with Waggle for matching contributions on sponsored campaigns including Gypsy (dental care), Nova (chemotherapy), Smokie, Nala, Diamond, Rufus, and Ruca.
• Greater Good CharitiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnimal welfare nonprofit organization providing support and visibility to Waggle campaigns. Part of the Waggle sponsor ecosystem.
• The Animal Rescue SitecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital animal rescue advocacy platform that drives awareness and donations to animal welfare causes including Waggle campaigns.
• Cole and MarmalademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerCat-focused content creators and animal advocates sponsoring Waggle campaigns through their community.
• Dogs of InstagramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDog-centered social media community and advocate for Waggle mission, sponsoring campaigns.
• I Love DogsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDog-loving community platform supporting Waggle animal rescue campaigns.
• Eli's FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed animal welfare fund supporting Waggle campaigns and rescue efforts.
• Tricia HelferminorGTM or Marketing PartnerActress and animal advocate sponsoring Waggle campaigns through celebrity endorsement.
• Andy CohenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTV personality and animal lover sponsoring Waggle campaigns.
• Mutt Nation FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSee partner entry for Miranda Lambert/MuttNation Fund - consolidated relationship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GoFundMe: GoFundMe is the dominant general-purpose crowdfunding platform and hosts pet medical fundraising campaigns as a subset of its broad categories. Waggle competes for donor mindshare and campaign placement, but GoFundMe lacks Waggle's nonprofit focus, vet-direct payment rails, and veterinary/welfare network density.
• ASPCA: The ASPCA is a large, established animal welfare nonprofit with broad rescue, advocacy, and grantmaking capabilities. It addresses economic euthanasia indirectly through grants and shelter programs, and competes with Waggle for donor dollars within the animal welfare category.
• The Humane Society of the United States: HSUS is one of the largest US animal welfare and advocacy organizations, operating shelters, lobbying, and rescue programs. It competes for the same donor pool as Waggle and represents a broad-incumbent player in animal welfare fundraising.

Direct peers

• RedRover: RedRover is a nonprofit that provides emergency financial assistance for veterinary care and operates a Safe Escape grant program for domestic violence victims with pets. It is the closest direct peer to Waggle, sharing the mission of funding urgent veterinary care through a nonprofit model.
• Brown Dog Foundation: Brown Dog Foundation is a nonprofit that provides funding for veterinary care to families facing financial hardship, similar in mission to Waggle. Both organizations target the economic euthanasia problem, though Brown Dog operates with a smaller direct-grant model versus Waggle's crowdfunding platform.
• The Pet Fund: The Pet Fund is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to pet owners in need of veterinary care for non-basic, non-emergency needs. It overlaps with Waggle in addressing the affordability gap for veterinary care, though its focus skews to chronic conditions versus emergency cases.
• Frankie's Friends: Frankie's Friends is a nonprofit foundation that funds emergency and specialty veterinary care for pets whose families cannot afford treatment. It is a direct mission-aligned peer to Waggle, operating with hospital partnerships rather than a public crowdfunding platform.

Emerging players

• Greater Good Charities: Greater Good Charities is a large nonprofit that runs multiple cause-focused giving programs including animal welfare. It is both a Waggle sponsor and a peer in fundraising infrastructure for animal rescue, overlapping on disaster relief and medical funding campaigns.

Others

• Trupanion: Trupanion is the largest pet medical insurance provider in North America and a flagship Waggle sponsor. It is comparable as an adjacent enabler addressing the same underlying affordability gap, but via insurance underwriting rather than nonprofit crowdfunding.
• Maddie's Fund: Maddie's Fund is a $300M+ family foundation funding animal welfare, shelter medicine, and community lifesaving programs. It is both a Waggle sponsor and a comparable grantmaking peer operating at a larger scale in the same funding ecosystem.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waggleforpets
• Facebookfacebook.com/waggleforpets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waggle