Ignite Change

What Ignite Change does

Ignite Change is a Milwaukee-based non-profit organization that provides pro bono advertising and public relations services to social causes and community initiatives. Its operations are executed by a volunteer team of approximately eight professionals, including Emmy-winning producers and Fortune 500 brand builders, allowing the organization to deliver professional-grade creative work without commercial pricing.

Its core program is FashUp, a teen fashion show designed to raise funds that pay for prom attendance for underserved high school students. Launched in 2019, FashUp is now in its fifth year as of 2025 and represents the organization's flagship recurring event. Beyond FashUp, the organization has executed public awareness campaigns such as 'Stop a Speeding Bullet' (2013) and produced documentary collaborations that have won film festival recognition in 2024. It also supports initiatives such as the Violence-Free Zone program.

The business model is a non-profit sponsorship and donation model. Revenue is not generated through fees for services; instead, the organization funds operations through corporate sponsorships (notably Stacy Adams in 2024), donations, and in-kind contributions of professional services from its volunteer talent pool. Geographic focus is concentrated in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, with all identified beneficiaries, sponsors, and program activity located within the region.

Name

Ignite Change

Legal name

Ignite Change

Website

https://ignitechange.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ignite Change is a Milwaukee-based non-profit providing pro bono advertising and PR services to social causes. Its signature program, FashUp, is a teen fashion show funding prom attendance for underserved high school students, now in its fifth year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

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

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Service Model: Ignite Change provides pro bono advertising and PR services to social causes. The organization likely relies on donations, grants, sponsorships (such as the FashUp presenting sponsors), and volunteer contributions rather than traditional revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ignite Change is a non-profit organization that provides pro-bono advertising, public relations, video production, and storytelling services to social cause organizations in the Milwaukee area. It connects skilled volunteer creatives with non-profits that lack the resources to communicate their mission effectively, and operates FashUp, an annual teen fashion show fundraiser that pays for at-risk youth to attend prom.

Product overview

Ignite Change is a non-profit organization that provides pro-bono advertising and public relations services to social causes. The organization operates primarily through its flagship program FashUp (a teen fashion show fundraising initiative) and various cause marketing campaigns for partner organizations including Running Rebels Community Organization, Coalition for Children Youth & Families, and Violence-Free Zone programs. The services focus on raising awareness for social causes through creative campaigns, video production, and storytelling rather than offering a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FashUp: A teen fashion show that raises funds to help send teens in foster care to prom. FashUp has paid for over 300 students to go to prom since 2019. In 2024, FashUp raised more funds than ever.
• Ignite My Cause
• Stop a Speeding Bullet Campaign

Products and services

• FashUp
• Pro-Bono Advertising and PR Services for Social Causes
• Stop a Speeding Bullet Campaign
• The Bridge Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Stop a Speeding Bullet campaign generated 3.9 million impressions through news coverage and outdoor advertising
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stacy AdamscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20242024 FashUp Presenting Sponsor - major sponsor for the teen fashion show event that raises funds to send Milwaukee youth to prom
• Running Rebels Community OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202430+ year partnership helping Milwaukee's most at-risk youth. Ignite has produced campaigns for Running Rebels including the Stop a Speeding Bullet campaign and video documentation of their court-ordered programs and funding crisis
• Wisconsin Youth Advisory CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Connected with Jameelah Love who led the council and sought to give teenagers in foster care the prom experience, leading to the creation of the FashUp program
• Coalition for Children Youth & FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIgnite has been working with the Coalition to tell stories that help break cycles of poverty, under-education and violence by finding and supporting foster and adoptive families
• Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (Washington DC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of the Violence-Free Zone national youth violence reduction program. Ignite supports awareness campaigns for this initiative
• National Alliance for Strong Families and ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael has worked with Heather to produce illustrations and animation for this organization
• C-Bird ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentary collaboration on 'The Exchange: In White America' which won multiple film festival awards

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• M+R: Non-profit consultancy providing digital, advocacy, and fundraising services to non-profits and foundations. Comparable as an outsourced non-profit communications/marketing partner across campaigns, advocacy, and online fundraising.
• Big Duck: Communications and branding firm that works exclusively with non-profits and has a pro-bono slant through its Good Shot program. Closely comparable as a non-profit-specialist communications shop delivering strategy, brand, and creative services.
• The Ad Council: National non-profit that produces pro-bono advertising campaigns on behalf of social causes, mobilizing top creative talent for non-profits. Operates the same volunteer-talent-for-cause model as Ignite Change, just at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Pursuant (formerly Russ Reid): Full-service fundraising and marketing agency dedicated to non-profits, with deep expertise in donor acquisition and cause campaigns. Comparable as an outsourced marketing partner for non-profit clients seeking measurable awareness and fundraising outcomes.

Emerging players

• Givebutter: Fundraising platform for non-profits including event-based and peer-to-peer campaigns (relevant to FashUp-style events). Comparable as a modern fundraising enablement tool for the same non-profit customer base.
• Classy: Online fundraising and donor management platform used by many of the same non-profit verticals Ignite Change serves (youth services, foster care, violence prevention). Adjacent peer enabling the same mission awareness and donor acquisition outcomes via tech rather than creative services.
• Funraise: Non-profit donor management and fundraising platform used by mid-sized non-profits. Adjacent peer addressing donor acquisition and campaign execution for many of the same partner organizations.
• Bonterra (formerly Network for Good / Kimbia): Software and services provider focused on fundraising, donor management, and case management for non-profits. Adjacent peer serving the same non-profit customers with technology-enabled marketing and donor engagement rather than pro-bono creative services.

Others

• Russ Berrie Institute for Non-Profit Leadership (Ramapo College): Training and capacity-building resource for non-profit leaders. Adjacent/ecosystem connection rather than a direct competitor, but addresses the same underlying need to strengthen non-profit communications capacity.
• Community Wealth Partners: Non-profit consulting firm that helps social-mission organizations build capacity and tell their stories for greater impact. Operates in an adjacent consulting/coaching lane to Ignite Change's pro-bono creative-services model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ignite-change

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Ignite Change