Company Stats

• Donations: Over $38 million donated through the platform to more than 5,000 nonprofits.
• Community: Around 78,000 people actively participating.
• Employees: 8 full-time employees, plus a network of consultants and part-timers.
• Founded: March 2020.

Episode Highlights

• ✅ Grapevine has facilitated over $38 million in donations through its platform since its launch in 2020.
• ✅ By adopting a hybrid business model, Grapevine balances its nonprofit and social enterprise goals, creating sustainability while supporting charitable causes.
• ✅ The fastest-growing form of philanthropy, giving circles, has been key to Grapevine’s success, allowing peers to collaborate and give collectively.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Emily Rasmussen, founder of Grapevine, discusses the challenges and successes of building a social impact platform. Grapevine, which launched in 2020, has already facilitated over $38 million in donations to more than 5,000 nonprofits. Emily highlights the complexities of choosing the right legal structure when building a social impact organization. Grapevine chose a hybrid model, operating both as a C-Corp and a nonprofit to handle donations and offer tax benefits to its donors.

Emily shares the importance of community and peer-driven philanthropy, which has fueled the rapid growth of giving circles—now the fastest-growing form of philanthropy. She reflects on the challenges of engaging donors, pivoting from an expert-driven model to a community-based one that allows everyday people to give collectively with purpose. Grapevine's innovative approach continues to reshape how people give to charitable causes.

Notable Questions We Asked

Q: How many donations have moved through Grapevine to date?

A: Our community of around 78,000 people has donated over $38 million to more than 5,000 nonprofits across the country.

Q: What legal structures did you consider when building Grapevine?

A: We explored different structures: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, fiscal sponsorship, and setting up a social enterprise. We ultimately chose a hybrid model—both a C-corp and a nonprofit.

Q: What is a giving circle, and why is it important?

A: A giving circle is a community-driven group that pools donations to collectively decide where to give. It’s the fastest-growing form of philanthropy, with over $3 billion moved through these circles.

Q: How did Grapevine’s hybrid model evolve?

A: We started as a social enterprise but partnered with a nonprofit to process donations. As we grew, we eventually needed to set up our own nonprofit structure to facilitate larger donations and grants.

Q: What challenges did you face in building Grapevine, and how did you pivot?

A: Early on, we tried an expert-driven model for guiding donations, but people wanted to know where their peers were giving instead. This led to the community-based approach that is now the foundation of Grapevine.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:19 Company Stats

01:12 Building a Social Impact Organization

01:35 Navigating Legal Structures for Social Enterprises

03:36 Understanding Customer and Donor Needs

08:05 Challenges and Lessons in Social Entrepreneurship

10:44 Connect with Grapevine

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#Philanthropy #SocialImpact #GivingCircles #Nonprofits #CharitableDonations #CommunityDriven #Fundraising #CollectiveGiving #SocialEntrepreneurship #PurposefulGiving