What must! charities does

Must! Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Templeton, California (with offices in Paso Robles). It operates as a regional collective-giving vehicle serving San Luis Obispo County, channeling donor contributions from individuals, families, and corporate partners into a portfolio of more than 200 local nonprofit organizations. Its core operating premise is the "100% Model," which directs 100% of designated donations to vetted nonprofit recipients while covering administrative costs through separate sustaining support. The organization functions as a coordinator and amplifier rather than a direct service provider, aggregating community demand signals and routing pooled capital toward priority needs including food security, domestic violence prevention, and senior nutrition.

The programmatic surface spans several distinct funding mechanisms: Projects/Grant Making for vetted partners, Transactional Giving (Pass-Through Grants) for donor-recommended nonprofits, Leadership Alliance for emerging donor development, a Youth Board of 27-31 members, The Pitch (a competitive nonprofit funding event launching Fall 2026), and the PURPOSE event — a flagship annual fundraiser that raised approximately $2.5 million in 2025 and has cumulatively generated over $10 million across its five-year history. Supporting channels include the Austin Hope Golf Tournament ($167K raised in 2026) and recurring donor campaigns. Multi-year commitments include a $963,000 investment with Lumina Alliance (2024-2028) for domestic violence and human trafficking prevention, and a $2.3 million Local Harvest Fund with SLO Food Bank.

The business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating: Must! raises capital through events, individual giving, and corporate sponsorships, then deploys those funds as grants to partner nonprofits within SLO County. Operational staffing is led by Executive Director Becky Gray and Director of Development Cara Wright, with a volunteer board and Youth Board providing governance and pipeline capacity. Since 2012, the organization has invested more than $12 million into the regional nonprofit ecosystem, operating in a sub-scale geography of approximately 2,000 nonprofits where it functions as the dominant collective-giving coordinator.

Name

must! charities

Legal name

must! charities

Website

https://mustcharities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Must! Charities is a Templeton, California-based 501(c)(3) founded in 2012 that coordinates collective giving across San Luis Obispo County, directing donor funds from individuals and corporate partners to 200+ local nonprofits through its 100% donation model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy and Nonprofit Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Nonprofit grant-making
• Collective giving
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Local community foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Templeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Community members make direct donations to Must! Charities. The organization operates on a 100% model where all community donations go directly to fund nonprofit projects, with operating costs covered separately by the Executive Board and private donors.
2. Corporate Transactional Giving: Local businesses incorporate philanthropy into their operations by donating a portion of transactions or making regular corporate contributions. The organization supports business partners who engage in collective giving initiatives.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual signature events including PURPOSE wine auction and Austin Hope Charity Golf Tournament generate significant fundraising revenue. Events feature live auctions, Fund-a-Need initiatives, and corporate sponsorships.
4. Project-Based Investments: Multi-year project commitments to nonprofit partners, with investments ranging from $22,950 (Meals That Connect) to $2.3M (SLO Food Bank Local Harvest Fund). These structured investments create sustained revenue relationships with partner organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Must! Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic foundation that pools community donations and strategically invests them in vetted local nonprofits addressing critical needs in San Luis Obispo County, including homelessness, hunger, youth development, domestic violence, mental health, and education. Through its signature "100% Model," 100% of community donations are directed to nonprofit projects while operating costs are covered separately by the Executive Board and private donors. The organization supports its mission through programs including Projects/grant-making, the Leadership Alliance for nonprofit executive development, The Pitch fundraising competition, the PURPOSE annual wine auction, the Youth Board, and Transactional Giving for corporate partners.

Product overview

Must! Charities is a nonprofit philanthropy organization operating as a single unified mission rather than a platform-plus-modules structure. Their core offering is strategic grant-making to local nonprofits, supported by several programs: the 100% Model (ensuring all donations go directly to projects), Projects/Grant Making (investments in nonprofit infrastructure), the Leadership Alliance (professional development for nonprofit leaders), The Pitch (fundraising competition program), the Youth Board (student philanthropy), the PURPOSE Event (annual wine auction gala), and transactional giving programs for businesses. The organization leverages pooled resources to invest in solutions addressing poverty, hunger, mentorship, education, and housing in San Luis Obispo County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Projects (Grant-Making) Strategic multi-year investments in vetted nonprofit organizations addressing critical community needs in San Luis Obispo County, including infrastructure investments, organizational capacity building, and program advancement for partner nonprofits.
• Leadership Alliance Intensive professional and personal development program for nonprofit leaders, providing supportive group sessions, one-on-one coaching, and cross-organizational collaboration opportunities. Cost is $250/month with a 50% year-one discount supported by a donor gift.
• The Pitch Three-month coaching experience for local nonprofits to refine their message, amplify their impact, and connect with supporters. Culminates in a high-energy pitch event where finalists deliver 3-minute presentations for monetary awards.
• PURPOSE Event Annual invitation-only wine auction event dedicated to raising money for critical community needs, raising over $10 million across its first five years (2021-2025).
• Transactional Giving Business giving program allowing companies to incorporate philanthropy into their operations through transactional giving, donating a portion of transactions to support community causes.
• Youth Board High school student leadership development program combining hands-on volunteer work with fundraising for local nonprofits, comprised of approximately 27-31 students across San Luis Obispo County who raise funds and awareness for community causes.
• 100% Model Unique philanthropic commitment under which 100% of community donations go directly to fund nonprofit projects, with operating costs covered separately by the Executive Board and private donors.
• Donor Giving Platform Individual donation platform allowing community members to contribute directly to Must! Charities' mission of strengthening the community through strategic nonprofit investments, starting from as little as a dollar a day.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $12M invested in SLO County nonprofits since 2012
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Meals That ConnectmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2025$22,950 investment (2025-2026) for coaching, organization assessment, and strategy to expand senior nutrition services. Addresses surging demand and declining funding for senior support programs.
• El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECHO is the only homeless shelter serving all of North San Luis Obispo County. Must! Charities invested over $1.1 million including a $385,000 investment in the Community Kitchen and Workforce Development Center. ECHO grew from 50 beds to 120 beds with 18 staff and maintains 60%+ housing success rates.
• SLO Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric $2.3M multi-year investment kick-started the Local Harvest Fund campaign. The From Farm to Family initiative (2025-2030) totals $2,235,000 to address hunger, support local farmers, and cultivate trust. In 2017, over 724,000 snacks and meals were served.
• Lumina AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvested $963,000 (2024-2028) in organizational infrastructure for domestic violence and sexual assault survivor services. $478,000 invested in transitional housing - the first for North SLO County. Partnership includes organizational viability and scalability support.
• Boys and Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMust! Charities invested in FIVE locations totaling $1,485,570. Helped enable strategic regional merger - from serving 100 youth in 1 location in 2012 to over 6,000 youth in 15 locations across 2 counties.
• Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$556,300 invested (2022-2024) for the 21st Century Crisis Call Center project - modernizing the Central Coast Hotline with new phone systems, texting capabilities for youth, Brief Therapy Clinic support, and ADA-compliant headquarters. Made hotline eligible for future state/federal funding.
• Vineyard Team - Juan Nevarez Memorial ScholarshipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver $1.3M invested (2022-2027) in scholarships for children of vineyard and winery workers. Multi-year higher education investments based on academic excellence, financial need, and community involvement.
• Paso Robles Youth ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner$340,824 investment (2024-2029) for technology upgrades, building improvements, staff development, and staff benefits. Previous $14,800 investment supported leadership development during exponential growth.
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner$312,650 invested (2016-2020) for strategic planning and scaling. Served 60 children from North County in 2016, growing to 775+ children served county-wide by 2020 through technology, data, and infrastructure improvements.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo CountymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner$174,581 invested (2014-2017) to open North County office in Paso Robles and infrastructure support. From 3 children matched in 2014 to 60+ matched with mentors by 2017, including California Big Brother of the Year.
• People's Self-Help Housing - Camino ScholarsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner$228,000 invested (2020-2022) to launch site-based learning program in Templeton at Rolling Hills Apartments, supporting educational growth and enrichment for low-income families with day camps, excursions, and field trips.
• Hope Family WinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary host of Austin Hope Charity Golf Tournament. Annual event has raised over $160,000+ per year. Represents major GTM channel for Must! Charities through wine industry community engagement.
• Epoch Estate WinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for annual PURPOSE wine auction event. 2025 event raised nearly $2.5 million at Epoch Estate Wines venue.
• JB DewarsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing $2,500 matching donations for Youth Board fundraising initiatives. Supports community philanthropy through matching gift programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance: Wine industry trade association whose membership overlaps significantly with Must! Charities' donor and event-host base (Hope Family Wines, Epoch Estate Wines, Austin Hope). Relevant not as a direct peer but as a key ecosystem player and donor channel.

Broad incumbents

• Sacramento Region Community Foundation: Established regional foundation pooling donor funds for Sacramento-area nonprofits. Similar mission and operating model at a larger scale, with a more developed endowment and donor-advised fund program.
• The San Diego Foundation: One of California's largest community foundations, with an endowment of $1B+ and a broad grantmaking program. Comparable in mission but materially larger and more institutionalized than Must! Charities.

Emerging players

• Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF): National nonprofit that provides financing and capacity-building for nonprofits. Comparable in its nonprofit-infrastructure focus (which mirrors Must!'s capacity-building thesis) but operates as a CDFI rather than a community foundation.

Regional players

• Inland Empire Community Foundation: Regional California community foundation pooling donor funds for Inland Empire nonprofits. Comparable pooled-giving mission at a different scale and geography, useful as a peer benchmark for governance and impact reporting.

Direct peers

• United Way of San Luis Obispo County: Operates in the same geography with a similar pooled-giving model and community-impact focus. While United Way uses a workplace-giving model rather than event-driven fundraising, the donor base and grantmaking scope overlap directly with Must!.
• Sonoma County Community Foundation: Wine-country community foundation providing grants and disaster-response funding for Sonoma County nonprofits. Closely comparable geography (wine industry) and pooled-giving model.
• Napa Valley Community Foundation: Another wine-region community foundation that pools donor funds and regrants to local nonprofits. Highly comparable operating model in a similar wine-country geography, providing a useful template for Must!'s potential expansion.
• Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County: The county's other community foundation, pooling endowed and pass-through funds for SLO County nonprofits. Direct overlap in geography, donor base, and grantmaking mission, though Must! differentiates via the 100% Model and event-driven fundraising.
• Ventura County Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving California's Central Coast. Comparable scope (single-county regional grantmaking), donor base, and program structure to Must! Charities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user201422905
• Facebookfacebook.com/must.charities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/must-charities
• Instagraminstagram.com/must.charities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 must! charities