The Giving Project

What The Giving Project does

The Giving Project is a Vermont-based nonprofit organization that builds the state's collective-giving infrastructure by supporting the formation and operation of giving circles — groups of individuals who pool charitable donations and collectively direct funds to local nonprofits. It serves everyday Vermont givers, youth and young philanthropists, existing and aspiring giving-circle leaders, and indirectly the Vermont nonprofit organizations that receive the pooled grants. Its core offering is the Giving Circle Program, operationalized through the free TGP Network membership, which provides coaching, peer networking, online training resources, tools and templates, promotion assistance, and a public listing in the Vermont Giving Circle Directory covering 20+ active circles.

Service delivery is human-facilitated rather than technology-mediated: there is no proprietary software platform, no app, no API, and no AI/ML components. Distribution runs through a self-serve digital membership (Google Form sign-up, email, Instagram), complemented by one-on-one and small-group coaching via video calls and in-person sessions in Vermont, including the Launchpad program co-hosted with Philanthropy Together and a Bespoke Launchpad tier aimed at businesses and pre-formed groups such as book clubs. A dedicated sub-brand, the NextGen Fund, matches collective gifts raised by youth-led giving circles.

The business model is donations-based: the organization relies on philanthropic contributions at all levels and on the NextGen matching-grant program to fund operations. Tax-deductible giving is enabled through a fiscal-sponsor relationship with Mercy Connections in Burlington, VT. Growth is community-led, driven by word-of-mouth, peer referrals, directory discovery, and partnerships with Philanthropy Together and Grapevine; the cumulative giving directed to Vermont nonprofits through the network since 2020 exceeds $400,000.

Name

The Giving Project

Legal name

The Giving Project

Website

https://givingprojectvt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Giving Project is a Vermont-based nonprofit that builds a network of 20+ giving circles, offering free membership, coaching, and training to help everyday donors pool resources and direct collective funding to local Vermont nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Collective giving circles
• Community philanthropy programs
• Nonprofit donor networks
• Youth philanthropy grants
• Donor education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: The Giving Project relies on philanthropic dollars donated by individuals. It believes a $25 gift is as important as a $25,000 gift and values gifts at all levels. Donations support the organization's operations and goal of building the base of grassroots philanthropy in Vermont. The organization also receives support through fiscal sponsor Mercy Connections.
2. Youth-Led Giving Circle Sponsorship: Donors can sponsor youth-led giving circles by providing matching or challenge grants. Contributions go directly to the nonprofit the giving circle supports, making them tax-deductible. This is a way to support nonprofits and build the giving circle movement simultaneously.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Giving Project builds and supports a network of giving circles in Vermont — small groups of individuals who pool charitable donations and collectively decide where to direct funds to local nonprofits. The organization offers free network membership for individuals interested in joining or starting giving circles, runs the NextGen Fund that provides matching grants to youth-led giving circles, and coordinates community philanthropy programming statewide.

Product overview

The Giving Project is a Vermont-based nonprofit that operates a single, unified service offering centered on collective giving facilitation. Its core product is the Giving Circle Program, through which everyday givers are organized into groups that pool donations and collectively decide on nonprofit beneficiaries. This core is supported by the TGP Network membership program, which connects affiliated giving circles and provides coaching, training resources, and peer networking. A dedicated youth philanthropy vehicle called the NextGen Fund matches gifts from youth-led circles. Coaching and Bespoke Launchpad training are additional service modules that help groups move from idea to implementation. The organization does not offer a software-as-a-product; all offerings are service and program based.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NextGen Fund: A fund established to encourage and support young philanthropists in Vermont by providing funding to match collective gifts raised by youth-led giving circles.

Products and services

• TGP Network A free network membership for Vermonters interested in collective giving. Members can join existing giving circles, access support to launch their own giving circles, and connect with a broader community of donors. The network includes 20+ active giving circles and has collectively given over $400,000 since 2020.
• Giving Circles Small groups of individuals who pool charitable donations and collectively decide where to direct funds to local Vermont nonprofits. Each circle democratically selects recipient organizations and distributes pooled funds as grants.
• NextGen Fund A dedicated fund that provides matching grants to youth-led giving circles in Vermont, amplifying the impact of donations made by young Vermonters participating in collective giving.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $400,000 in collective giving by Vermont giving circles since 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercy ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMercy Connections serves as The Giving Project's fiscal sponsor, enabling the organization to receive tax-deductible donations. Checks are sent to Mercy Connections at 255 South Champlain Street Suite #8, Burlington, VT 05401. This partnership is foundational to The Giving Project's ability to accept and distribute charitable contributions.
• Grapevine / Philanthropy TogethercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilanthropy Together and Grapevine host the Global Directory of Giving Circles, which includes The Giving Project's Vermont giving circles. The Giving Project also co-promotes Philanthropy Together's Launchpad program to Vermonters interested in starting giving circles. This partnership expands the organization's reach and connects it to a global network of giving circle practitioners.
• Dad GuildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDad Guild is a parent organization for the Dadvocate Giving Circle, one of the giving circles listed in The Giving Project's Vermont directory. The Dadvocate Giving Circle is a fun, low-barrier way for fathers to engage in collective philanthropy. The relationship connects The Giving Project's network to Dad Guild's membership base in Vermont.
• Philanthropy TogethercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilanthropy Together co-hosts the Launchpad program, a five-session interactive training for change-makers launching giving circles. The Giving Project actively promotes Launchpad to Vermonters and provides one-on-one and small group coaching alongside the program. This partnership is a key go-to-market lever for recruiting and launching new giving circles in Vermont.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vermont Community Foundation: A statewide community foundation based in Vermont that aggregates philanthropic dollars and makes grants to local nonprofits. Directly comparable because it serves the same geography and nonprofit recipients, but at a much larger endowment scale and with traditional grantmaking rather than giving-circle facilitation.
• Philanthropy Together: A national nonprofit dedicated to growing the giving circle movement through training, resources, and the Launchpad program. Closely aligned with TGP's mission and an active partner co-hosting the Launchpad training for new circles.
• 100+ Women Who Give: A national collective-giving movement where local chapters pool individual donations and award them collectively to nonprofits. Directly comparable model to TGP's affiliated 100+ Women Who Give – Chittenden County circle; serves overlapping donor psychographics and cause areas.

Broad incumbents

• Giving Tuesday: A global movement and nonprofit that coordinates a day of mass giving and supports grassroots philanthropy infrastructure. Comparable as an ecosystem player supporting collective giving, but operates at global scale rather than as a regional giving-circle facilitator.
• Community Foundations of Canada: A national network of community foundations across Canada that pool and distribute local philanthropic dollars. Comparable mission and structure to TGP's network-of-circles concept, but at national scale and with traditional foundation grantmaking.
• United Way of Northwest Vermont: A regional United Way affiliate serving Vermont counties, running federated workplace giving campaigns for local nonprofits. Comparable as a Vermont-based pooled donor organization, but with a federated annual-campaign model rather than giving-circle model.
• Grapevine: A global giving circle directory and technology platform that hosts and lists TGP's Vermont circles. Comparable as the infrastructure layer for the giving circle movement, broader in scope, and a strategic GTM partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: A large regional community foundation serving New Hampshire with pooled philanthropic capital and grantmaking. Comparable in mission and regional nonprofit-support role, but operates at much larger scale with an endowment model rather than a giving-circle model.
• Maine Initiatives: A community-based foundation supporting social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine through pooled donor funds and grants. Comparable regional peer in New England focused on grassroots community philanthropy.

Others

• Idealist: A global nonprofit job, volunteer, and organization directory connecting individuals to causes and nonprofits. Comparable as a discovery and recruitment infrastructure for the nonprofit/philanthropy ecosystem, although not a direct grantmaking intermediary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/givingprojectvt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lesliehalperin

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 The Giving Project