What Smart Charity does

Smart Charity LLC is a Bloomington, Indiana-based data science consultancy that serves the philanthropic sector. The company combines proprietary AI and analytics with expert human analysis to help foundations become more strategic grantmakers and nonprofits become more effective grantseekers. Its core technology asset is a proprietary foundation-grantee network dataset of over 10 million grant records, augmented with granular county-level community data sourced from agencies such as the CDC, USDA, and HHS. On top of this dataset, Smart Charity has built proprietary language models and a narrowcasting matching algorithm that delivers 10-15 high-probability foundation or grantee matches, in contrast to the 1000+ unfiltered results typical of keyword-based searches.

The company offers four core consulting services — Grantmakers, Grantseekers, Philanthropy Infrastructure Organizations, and Philanthropy Consultants — alongside four public-facing data exploration projects covering foundations, nonprofits, congregations, and philanthropy deserts. Custom interactive visualizations and dashboards are available as add-on deliverables. Services are delivered through a four-step consultative process (Discovery & Consultation, Expert Analysis & Ecosystem Mapping, Collaborative Strategy & Curation, and Actionable Delivery & Insights) rather than self-serve tooling. The team comprises six professionals including the founder/CEO, lead and senior data scientists, a data scientist, a data engineer, and a director of strategic operations, blending data science with philanthropic domain expertise.

Smart Charity operates on a professional services revenue model with custom, quote-based pricing determined through consultation, typically structured as multi-year contracts via Partner Collaboration Agreements, Statements of Work, or Project Proposals. Its named client base includes Independent Sector, Appalachia Funders Network, Bridgespan, Trust for Civic Life, Aspen Institute, the National Science Foundation, Lilly Endowment, Civic Innovation Challenge, Entrepreneurship Funders Network, and Elev8 Health, spanning philanthropy infrastructure, regional funder networks, federal research, and consulting firms. The company is a privately held LLC with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company, operating domestically within the United States.

Name

Smart Charity

Legal name

Smart Charity LLC

Website

https://smartcharity.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smart Charity is a Bloomington, Indiana-based data science consultancy that uses a proprietary 10-million-record grant dataset and AI language models to match foundations with nonprofits and map the U.S. philanthropic ecosystem for grantmakers, grantseekers, and sector infrastructure organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Data Analytics and Consulting

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Philanthropy data analytics
• Foundation grant matching
• Nonprofit consulting services
• Philanthropy intelligence platform
• Ecosystem mapping analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Analysis Services: Custom data analysis and strategic consulting services for grantmakers and grantseekers, including ecosystem mappings, portfolio optimization, and impact measurement. Deliverables include curated lists of mission-aligned partners and interactive visualizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Smart Charity is a data science consultancy that delivers AI-powered philanthropic services built on a proprietary foundation-grantee network dataset of over 10 million grant records combined with proprietary language models. The company sells four core services — Grantmakers (strategic grantmaking advisory, ecosystem mapping, portfolio optimization), Grantseekers (AI-powered foundation matching), Sector Serving (data for infrastructure organizations), and Sector Consulting (data-driven intelligence for consultants) — plus four public-facing interactive data projects that map U.S. foundations, nonprofits, congregations, and philanthropy deserts.

Product overview

Smart Charity operates as a data science consultancy providing AI-powered philanthropy services built on a proprietary foundation-grantee network dataset of over 10 million grant records. The offering comprises four core consulting services (Grantmakers, Grantseekers, Sector Serving, and Sector Consulting) and four data exploration products (Foundations, Nonprofits, Congregations, and Philanthropy Deserts). All services leverage AI and advanced data science to map the philanthropic ecosystem, identify funding gaps, and match grantseekers with grantmakers through a narrowcasting approach that delivers curated, actionable results rather than broad database searches. Optional custom interactive visualizations and dashboards are available as add-on deliverables for deeper strategic insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grantmakers Service Strategic grantmaking advisory service providing comprehensive mapping of funding areas, community outcomes data overlays, and strategic partner identification to increase grantmaking effectiveness, including due diligence, portfolio optimization, geographic impact analysis, peer intelligence, and evidence-based funding strategies for foundation leaders.
• Grantseekers Service AI-powered grantseeking service that analyzes over 10 million grants to discover mission-aligned funders, providing customized foundation matching, strategic funding alignment, relationship-building support, and geographic funding gap analysis for nonprofit organizations seeking foundation funding.
• Sector Serving Service Data and intelligence service for philanthropy infrastructure organizations that supports comprehensive sector research, policy development, advocacy support, capacity building, community building, educational content development, due diligence, innovation research, and impact assessment.
• Sector Consulting Service Consulting practice empowerment service providing data-driven evidence and AI-enhanced analyses for philanthropy consultants, including strategic planning, market analysis, partnership facilitation, fundraising strategy, due diligence, program design, grant application support, thought leadership, and custom analytics.
• Foundations Data Project Interactive mapping and analysis tool enabling exploration of the breadth and depth of the U.S. foundation ecosystem as a public-facing data project.
• Nonprofits Data Project Mapping tool for discovering nonprofits in specific U.S. geographic areas and the services they provide, with location-based exploration capabilities.
• Congregations Data Project Comprehensive database of U.S. congregations with mapping and exploration capabilities, positioned as one of the most comprehensive such datasets in the country.
• Philanthropy Deserts Project Analysis identifying U.S. communities with the greatest needs that receive the least amount of philanthropic funding, with focus areas including maternal health, education, mental health, and poverty.

Named customers10 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

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Independent SectorminorOthersListed as a client and collaborator on Smart Charity's website, indicating a working relationship in the philanthropy infrastructure space.
• Appalachia Funders NetworkminorOthersRegional philanthropy network collaborating with Smart Charity for ecosystem mapping and data visualization projects.
• BridgespanminorOthersProminent philanthropy consulting firm listed as a client/collaborator, indicating use of Smart Charity's data services.
• Aspen InstituteminorOthersPolicy research organization collaborating with Smart Charity on philanthropy sector research.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)minorOthersFederal research agency listed as a collaborator, potentially related to data science research initiatives.
• Lilly EndowmentminorOthersMajor philanthropy foundation listed as a client and collaborator.
• Trust for Civic LifeminorOthersCivic engagement organization working with Smart Charity.
• TwellaminorOthersTechnology/health organization listed as a collaborator.
• IU InnovatesminorOthersIndiana University innovation initiative listed as a collaborator, possibly indicating academic partnership.
• QuornixminorOthersOrganization listed as a collaborator on Smart Charity's website.
• Civic Innovation ChallengeminorOthersGovernment civic innovation initiative listed as a collaborator.
• Entrepreneurship Funders NetworkminorOthersNetwork of funders supporting entrepreneurship listed as a collaborator.
• PACEminorOthersPhilanthropy organization listed as a collaborator.
• Elev8 HealthminorOthersHealth-focused organization listed as a collaborator.
• Tobias Leadership CenterminorOthersLeadership development organization listed as a collaborator.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GrantStation: GrantStation offers a searchable database of grantmakers and grants along with grantseeking resources for nonprofits. It overlaps with Smart Charity's grantseeker matching and grantmaker intelligence offerings, though it relies more on database search than proprietary language models.
• Fluxx: Fluxx provides grants management software for foundations and grantmakers, covering the full lifecycle from application to reporting. It competes with Smart Charity's Grantmakers service on the funder side, particularly around portfolio optimization and grant pipeline workflows.
• Instrumentl: Instrumentl is an AI-assisted grant discovery and management platform for nonprofits, offering matched funder recommendations and tracking workflows. It is the closest direct competitor to Smart Charity's Grantseekers service, with overlapping target customers (nonprofits seeking grants) and a similar data-driven matching approach.
• Foundant Technologies: Foundant builds grantmaking software for community foundations and corporate giving programs, including application management and impact reporting. It competes with Smart Charity's Grantmakers service in the foundation technology stack.
• Watershed: Watershed provides impact measurement and grant lifecycle software for foundations and corporate giving programs. It overlaps with Smart Charity's portfolio optimization and impact measurement use cases for grantmakers.

Emerging players

• GivingData: GivingData is a newer SaaS platform focused on grantmakers' operational and analytical needs, including dashboards and reporting. It competes for the same foundation customers Smart Charity serves but emphasizes workflow automation over ecosystem analytics.

Regional players

• Submittable: Submittable is a workflow and application management platform widely used by foundations and corporate giving programs for grant application intake and review. It overlaps with the operational side of Smart Charity's Grantmakers offering, though it is a horizontal workflow tool rather than a philanthropic-specific analytics product.

Broad incumbents

• Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): Candid is the dominant nonprofit data and information provider in the U.S., operating the Foundation Directory and GuideStar databases. It serves the same grantmaker and grantseeker audiences as Smart Charity, though its core product is broader information/knowledge rather than AI-driven narrowcasting.
• Foundation Source: Foundation Source is a large provider of outsourced foundation management services for private foundations and family offices, including grant administration and compliance. It competes for grantmaker wallet share with a broader, more operational offering than Smart Charity.

Others

• PEAK Grantmaking: PEAK Grantmaking is a membership association that advances effective grantmaking practices among foundations. While not a direct product competitor, it is part of the same philanthropy infrastructure ecosystem that Smart Charity's Sector Serving service targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Smart Charity