Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati

What Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati does

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation founded in 1995 that serves as the only local charitable umbrella for social and economic justice organizations, environmental sustainability causes, and animal welfare agencies in the tri-state region (Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana). The organization coordinates annual workplace giving campaigns across major regional employers — including the City of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, Hamilton County, Cincinnati Public Schools, and others — enabling employees to contribute via payroll deduction, one-time gifts, DAF grants, or online donations through the GiveButter platform. Beyond workplace campaigns, Community Shares operates a Social Justice Incubator that provides fiscal sponsorship under its 501(c)(3) umbrella to 14 emerging social justice groups, alongside a member federation of 31 established charities that receive training, networking, and collective advocacy support.

The business model is a nonprofit philanthropy model with three primary revenue streams: pass-through workplace giving contributions designated to member charities, individual donations (online and mailed checks), and fiscal sponsorship fees from incubated organizations. The organization does not sell goods or services in exchange for contributions. Operations are lean, with a three-person staff (a full-time CEO, a full-time Communications and Membership Associate placed via the Public Allies fellowship, and a part-time bookkeeper), reflecting a deliberately small infrastructure that channels the majority of donor dollars through to member charities rather than into overhead. Cumulative pass-through to local charities exceeds $4 million over 29 years, and the 2023-24 workplace campaign grew 3% year-over-year.

Strategically, the organization has pursued three reinforcing directions: deepening distribution through high-growth workplace partnerships, broadening the federation by onboarding new member charities (including Make A Wish, Shoes 4 the Shoeless, and A Picture's Worth), and building community mindshare through the Margaret Fuller Lecture Series and position-statement advocacy. It is affiliated with Community Shares USA, a national federation network across 11 states, and is led by CEO T. Duane Gordon with a 10-member board. There is no AI, technology platform, or venture funding dimension to the business; it is a relationship-driven federation model.

Name

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati

Legal name

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati

Website

https://cintishares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation running workplace giving campaigns and a Social Justice Incubator for 31 member charities plus 14 emerging groups across the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Federation & Workplace Giving Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Workplace giving campaigns
• Nonprofit federation
• Charitable umbrella
• Social justice incubator
• Fiscal sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Coordinates workplace campaigns enabling employees to make tax-deductible contributions through payroll deduction or one-time gifts. Workers may designate gifts to specific member charities or make undesignated gifts shared among all members. The 2023-24 workplace campaign increased 3% over the previous year.
2. Individual Donations: Accepts direct donations from individuals online (general fund or designated to member charities) and via mailed checks. As a 501c3 nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible.
3. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Provides 501c3 tax-exempt umbrella for emerging social justice groups through fiscal sponsorship. Collects donations on their behalf and administers expenses while incubating and mentoring new equity efforts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati operates as a regional nonprofit federation and Social Justice Incubator, providing a charitable umbrella under which 31 member organizations and 14 incubator participants raise funds through coordinated workplace giving campaigns, individual donations, and donor-advised fund grants. Its core offerings are workplace giving campaign administration, fiscal sponsorship for emerging social justice causes, member charity training and networking, and advocacy on equity-related public policy issues across the Cincinnati tri-state region.

Product overview

Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati operates as a regional federation of social justice charities, offering a unified charitable umbrella for social/economic justice organizations, environmental causes, and animal welfare agencies. The organization functions as a central platform connecting donors, workplaces, and member charities through several interconnected services: the core Workplace Giving Campaigns allow employees to designate charitable contributions; the Social Justice Incubator provides fiscal sponsorship and mentorship to emerging organizations; the Member Charity Federation offers training, networking, and advocacy services to established nonprofits; and the Margaret Fuller Lecture Series facilitates community dialogue on equity issues. All donations are processed through GiveButter with support for multiple payment methods including PayPal, Venmo, and ACH transfers. The organization has distributed over $4 million to local charities over 29 years and is currently in its 30th fiscal year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workplace Giving Campaigns Annual coordinated workplace fundraising campaigns that enable employees of partner employers to make tax-deductible contributions through payroll deduction or one-time contributions to Community Shares' general fund or designated to specific member charities. Targeted at employers across the Cincinnati tri-state region.
• Social Justice Incubator (Fiscal Sponsorship) Fiscal sponsorship program that incubates and mentors emerging social justice groups under Community Shares' 501(c)(3) tax-exempt umbrella, providing administrative oversight, donation collection, and support services to help new equity efforts mature into independent nonprofits. Targeted at emerging social justice organizations without their own 501(c)(3) status.
• Member Charity Federation A federation of 31 member charities plus 14 Social Justice Incubator members working in social/economic justice, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, providing shared revenue from workplace campaigns. Targeted at member charitable organizations in the region.
• Member Charity Training and Networking Training programs for member charities on nonprofit administration excellence and continuous improvement, combined with networking opportunities to facilitate collaboration among similar organizations in the region. Targeted at member charity staff and leaders.
• Advocacy Services Local and statewide advocacy efforts on behalf of member charities and donors to improve public policies impacting marginalized populations, including position statements on key social justice issues. Targeted at member charities, donors, and local/state policymakers.
• Margaret Fuller Lecture Series A quarterly virtual panel discussion series covering topics within social and economic justice, environmental justice, and animal welfare, designed to foster community dialogue on challenging topics affecting the tri-state region. Targeted at the general public and member charity stakeholders.
• Online Donation Processing Digital donation platform enabling contributions to the general fund or directly to member charities via credit/debit card, PayPal, Venmo, ACH electronic check, or mailed check, with payroll deduction options for workplace campaigns. Targeted at individual donors and DAF holders at Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and BNY Mellon.

Quantifiable outcome

• 385,000+ residents impacted annually by member organizations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• City of CincinnaticoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor workplace campaign partner - largest workplace campaign based on dollars raised in the region. Offers employees charitable giving through Community Shares.
• University of CincinnaticoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegion's single largest employer and major workplace campaign partner. Ranked #5 in Terrific Ten largest workplace campaigns.
• State of Ohio Employees (Combined Charitable Campaign)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipates in statewide Combined Charitable Campaign for state employees in the region.
• U.S. Federal Employees (Combined Federal Campaign)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipates in Combined Federal Campaign for federal employees in the area. Has met rigorous charitable federation vetting processes.
• Hamilton CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor workplace campaign partner offering employees charitable giving options through Community Shares.
• Cincinnati Public SchoolsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner providing employees options to support member charities.
• Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio RegionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoth workplace campaign partner and member organization. Ranked #4 in Terrific Ten for dollars raised.
• Metro (Cincinnati Metro Regional Transit Authority)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner showing 58% increase in dollars raised. Ranked #8 in Terrific Ten.
• Cincinnati State Community and Technical CollegemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner, ranked #10 in Terrific Ten largest campaigns.
• Community Shares USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliate network across 11 states that connects, funds, and raises awareness for community groups fighting for fairness, equality, and opportunities for all.
• Public AlliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development organization. Devoe Sherman serves as a Public Ally Fellow with Community Shares for 2025-26.
• Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton CountymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner showing 63% increase in dollars raised. Named in Fabulous Five for largest percentage increase.
• Contemporary Arts CentermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner showing 674% increase in dollars raised. Named #1 in Fabulous Five for largest percentage increase.
• Health Resource CentermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace campaign partner and member organization. Named #2 in Fabulous Five with 500% increase in dollars raised.
• Ohio Justice and Policy CentermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember organization and workplace campaign partner. Named #5 in Fabulous Five with 41% increase and #3 in Elite Eleven for largest dollar designations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Shares of Colorado: Sister Community Shares affiliate operating the identical workplace giving federation model in Colorado. Directly comparable in mission, structure, services, and revenue model.
• EarthShare: National workplace giving federation specifically focused on environmental causes. Operates the same model of coordinating payroll-deduction giving to a curated set of member nonprofits, making it a direct parallel to Community Shares in structure and channel.
• United Way of Greater Cincinnati: Regional workplace giving federation serving the same Greater Cincinnati tri-state geography. Competes directly for employer workplace campaigns and donor designations, with a broader human-services focus rather than the social justice/environmental/animal welfare niche.
• Community Shares USA: National federation network of Community Shares affiliates across 11 states. Direct parent affiliate of Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati and operates the same workplace giving and federation model at the national level, providing direct strategic and brand alignment.
• Black United Fund of Cincinnati: Community-based federated giving organization running workplace campaigns for nonprofits serving the Black community. Operates the same workplace giving federation model in overlapping Cincinnati geography.

Others

• Interact for Health: Regional health conversion foundation that provides grants to Community Shares member charities (e.g., $50,000 grant to Transform). Regional philanthropic funder in the same geography that supports causes overlapping with Community Shares' mission.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of state and regional nonprofit associations providing capacity building, training, and advocacy support. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supports nonprofits like Community Shares' member organizations with similar services.

Regional players

• Middletown Community Foundation: Community foundation in Middletown, Ohio, previously led by Community Shares' current CEO. Operates as a regional grantmaker and donor services organization in adjacent Ohio geography.
• Children's Fund / Kids in Need Foundation: Federated workplace giving organizations focused on children's services. Operate the same payroll-deduction giving model with curated nonprofit rosters in different geographic regions.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Major regional community foundation serving Greater Cincinnati with charitable giving, grantmaking, and donor services. Broader in scope than Community Shares but competes for the same regional donor base and workplace giving opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CincyShares
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cincyshares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-shares-of-greater-cincinnati

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati