FundingFactory

What FundingFactory does

FundingFactory is a free, web-based fundraising platform operated by Clover Environmental Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clover Technologies Group. Founded in 1997 as ETCEP and rebranded in 2001, the company enables schools, nonprofits, scout troops, churches, and community organizations to raise money by collecting used toner and inkjet printer cartridges from local businesses and shipping them to FundingFactory via prepaid UPS labels.

The platform is built around three participant roles — participants (organizations that earn money), supporters (donors who give cartridges), and business partners (collection points). Once registered, participants access an online account to request shipping supplies, track qualifying cartridges, and redeem accumulated balances, subject to a $25 minimum payout. Qualifying cartridges earn approximately $0.37 (toner) to $0.54 (inkjet) per unit on average; non-qualifying items incur a $0.50–$3.00 fee that funds recycling logistics. The service is restricted to the contiguous United States.

FundingFactory does not generate revenue from participants. Instead, it monetizes collected cartridges by feeding them into Clover Technologies Group's downstream remanufacturing and resale operations, where Clover is positioned as the world's largest collector and remanufacturer of printer cartridges. Since inception, participants have cumulatively earned $33.5M and diverted 43.3 million pounds of material from landfills, with 99% of cartridges recycled as of 2014. The business is a stable, mature subsidiary within a larger industrial parent rather than an independent venture-backed entity.

Name

FundingFactory

Legal name

Clover Environmental Solutions

Website

https://fundingfactory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

FundingFactory is a free web-based fundraising platform that helps U.S. schools, nonprofits, scout troops, churches, and community organizations raise money by recycling used toner and inkjet printer cartridges, operating as a subsidiary of Clover Technologies Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cartridge Recycling Program: FundingFactory collects used toner and inkjet printer cartridges from participating organizations. The company processes cartridges through inspection, reuse/remanufacturing, or recycling to generate electricity. Participants earn monetary credits based on cartridge type and condition, with payments issued when account balance reaches $25.
2. Non-Qualifying Product Fees: Fees are charged for non-qualifying items sent by participants: $0.50 per non-qualifying inkjet cartridge or ribbon, $3.00 per non-qualifying toner cartridge, $3.00 per non-qualifying toner tube/bottle/tank, $3.00 per non-qualifying printer components, and $3.00 per non-qualifying cellphone or small electronic. Additional shipping fees apply for boxes not meeting minimum quantity requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FundingFactory runs a free, web-based fundraising program that lets schools, nonprofits, churches, and community groups earn money by collecting used toner and inkjet printer cartridges donated by local businesses. Participants register online, set a fundraising goal, recruit business donors, and ship cartridges using prepaid UPS labels; payments are issued by check once the account balance reaches $25. Cartridges are processed through parent company Clover Technologies Group's remanufacturing and recycling infrastructure.

Product overview

FundingFactory operates as a free, web-based recycling fundraising platform connecting Causes (schools, nonprofits, churches, and community groups) with Business Supporters. The core product is the FundingFactory Platform which enables organizations to create fundraising goals, track cartridge donations, and receive payments. The ecosystem includes two registration pathways—Cause Registration for nonprofits and Business Support for companies donating cartridges—plus Goal Pages for individual campaigns and a Real-time Sustainability Report feature displaying environmental impact metrics. The Qualifying List defines accepted cartridge types and prices. The platform is operated by parent company Clover Technologies Group (Clover Environmental Solutions).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FundingFactory Recycling Fundraiser Program A free, web-based fundraising program that lets schools, nonprofits, churches, and community groups earn money by collecting used toner and inkjet printer cartridges donated by participating businesses. The program provides online account management, goal tracking, shipment tracking, and check-based payments once the account balance reaches $25.
• Cause Registration Self-service registration program for schools, nonprofits, churches, troops, and community groups to create a Cause page, set a fundraising goal, track shipments and earnings, and request payments once balance reaches $25.
• Business Support Program Program allowing businesses to register and donate their used toner and inkjet printer cartridges to support a specific Cause. FundingFactory provides complimentary shipping boxes, UPS shipping labels, and marketing supplies.
• Qualifying List Updated quarterly inventory of accepted toner and inkjet printer cartridges with part numbers and corresponding payment values, covering brands from BROTHER, CANON, DELL, HP, IBM, SAMSUNG, and XEROX for toner, and CANON, FRANCOTYP, HP, OTHER, and VIDEOJET for inkjet.
• Real-time Sustainability Report Online environmental impact dashboard showing aggregate statistics including units collected, pounds diverted from landfills, resources recovered (plastic, nylon, steel, aluminum, copper), and environmental equivalents such as offset vehicle emissions and gasoline consumption.

Quantifiable outcome

• 136,735 organizations have collectively earned more than $33.5 million in cash through the FundingFactory program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Clover Technologies GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Clover Technologies Group, described as the world's largest remanufacturing organization and global leader in imaging consumable recycling, acquired FundingFactory in 2010. FundingFactory operates as a division of Clover Environmental Solutions, part of the Clover Technologies Group family.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: Major crowdfunding platform specifically targeting K-12 classroom funding needs. Competes with FundingFactory for the same school fundraising dollars via a different (direct donation) model.
• Republic Services: Large waste and recycling services company with commercial recycling programs. Adjacent competitor for business-level recycling contracts and provides alternative cartridge disposal channel.
• TerraCycle: Large-scale recycling company offering fundraising and zero-waste box programs for schools, nonprofits, and businesses. Broader portfolio (multiple waste streams) but overlapping target customers and similar CSR-driven donation model.
• Office Depot Recycling Program: Office supplies retailer with free toner/inkjet cartridge recycling for customers. Competes for the same business donor pool and offers an alternative recycling destination for participating businesses.
• GoFundMe Charity: Large-scale online fundraising platform widely used by schools and nonprofits. Competes for the same fundraising-attention budget but uses donation-based rather than recycling-based monetization.
• Staples Recycling Program: Office supplies retailer operating a free cartridge and electronics recycling program. Competes indirectly for business donor feedstock and offers alternative disposal channel that competes with FundingFactory's Business Supporter program.

Emerging players

• Ridwell: Subscription-based home and business recycling pickup service. Adjacent category with growing footprint in consumer/business recycling that could intersect with FundingFactory's electronics and cartridge streams.

Others

• Clover Imaging Group: Parent company of FundingFactory and the world's largest collector/recycler of imaging consumables. Provides the underlying processing infrastructure; related through corporate ownership rather than market competition.

Direct peers

• Cartridges for Kids: Operates a near-identical fundraising-through-cartridge-recycling model for schools and nonprofits. Direct competitor in the same niche with the same value proposition to K-12 institutions.
• TonerBuyer: Direct buyer of used toner and inkjet cartridges from businesses and organizations. Operates in the same secondary cartridge market and competes for business-level cartridge supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fundingfactory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 FundingFactory