“iNotForProfit is innovating the way non-profit organizations and social enterprises connect with their constituency. Philanthropy 2.0 is here – and every organization should be able to leverage the mobile channel!” – Jonathan Grover, founder, iNotForProfit
This interview was conducted in 2012.
iNotForProfit’s mission is to enable any philanthropic organization to enhance their connection with the community and leverage the power of social media to inform, grow and fundraise. The innovative solution employed removes barriers due to a lack of technical knowledge or concerns about cost, allowing organizations to take advantage of mobile technology and be with their constituency wherever, whenever. The WJF’s Conrad Cheeks talked with Jonathan Grover, founder and CEO of iN4P, to ask him about the social enterprise.
Where are you located?
iNotForProfit is located in Waterloo, Canada.
What problem are you trying to solve?
As a volunteer and participant for years, I noticed that regardless of the organization I was working with, they all seemed to face a common problem. Nearly every organization seemed to excel at achieving their mission, but often had difficulty informing potential donors of the transformational impact they had on the community, and turning those potential donors into donation dollars.
We realized that perhaps a new solution to this age-old problem was merited – one that could leverage smartphone and tablet technology in conjunction with social media to enable each organization with a kind of tool they could only have dreamed of possessing before.
How did you become interested in this problem?
Despite having a strong business background, I’m a ‘techie’ at heart. This problem allowed me to apply a domain I loved to a cause I was passionate about.
What is your solution to the problem?
In brief, iNotForProfit provides each partner organization with their own customized, branded mobile application that transforms the interaction with the constituency to a two-way dialogue. For some organizations it takes the form of sharing newsletters, photos or videos, while for others it grows in scope to areas such as event promotion and management. Beyond connecting, each organization’s mobile ‘app’ facilitates donations, thus offering true end-to-end benefits.
Has the William James Foundation competition and mentoring program helped you on your way?
We think the work of the William James Foundation is helping to make transformational social impact in the same vein which social entrepreneurs like ourselves strive to accomplish. Participating in the competition helped to broaden our horizons and provide us with valuable feedback.
Anything else you’d like the William James Foundation community to know?
Can we shamelessly plug our services? No…well then we would like to say that we would love to continue participating in the competition in the future, hopefully sitting on the judging and mentoring side of the table next time!