RWL239 From Three Taps to One Billion Dollars: The Givelify Success Story

"Complexity kills momentum. Simplicity drives scale." This episode unpacks how Givelify transformed from a simple idea to processing billions in donations by focusing on trust, alignment, and location-free giving. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Alex Wilson-Campbell and you're
listening to the Remote WorkLife podcast.
Today, I am profiling WaleMafalosiri, founder of Givelify,
a mobile first giving platformthat's helped churches and
non-profits raise billions indonations.
In 2023 alone, they processedover one billion dollars.
Wale launched Givelify in 2013.

(00:23):
The idea was simple Givingshould be easy, instant and
location-free.
At the time, many organizationsstill relied on cash or checks,
but more and more people wereusing mobile for everything
banking, shopping, communicating.
He saw an opportunity to bringcharitable giving into that
space.
The goal wasn't to build justanother app.

(00:45):
It was to make generosityaccessible from wherever people
were, and that principlelocation independence is one
that shaped the product, thebusiness model and how the
company has grown.
Givelify lets anyone donate injust a few taps.
Whether you're sitting in achurch service, at home watching

(01:05):
a live stream, or halfwayacross the world, you can
contribute instantly.
That's the reality of moderngenerosity.
It's no longer tied to physicalplace or moment.
From a product standpoint, theplatform is intentionally simple
.
The core donation experience isdesigned to take three taps.

(01:26):
That simplicity makes it usablefor a wide range of people,
including those who aren'tnecessarily tech savvy.
It also builds trust.
When something works reliablyand works every time people come
back.
Trust was one of the earlyhurdles GiveLify had to clear.
They were asking people to movetheir giving online not just

(01:47):
individuals, but entirecongregations and nonprofit
teams.
For many, that was asignificant change.
It involved sensitiveinformation, recurring donations
and emotional commitments.
To deal with that, givelifyfocused heavily on verification
and security.
To deal with that, givelifyfocused heavily on verification
and security.
Organizations that wanted tojoin the platform had to go

(02:09):
through a thorough approvalprocess.
That process wasn't quick andsome users described it as
frustrating, but it wasdeliberate.
It created confidence in thesystem.
Alongside that, they built outstrong security for transactions
and made donation trackingtransparent.
People could see where theirmoney was going and
organisations could access clearreports.
Another challenge was changinghabits.

(02:31):
In the non-profit world,particularly in faith-based
settings, traditions run deep.
For many churches, the physicalact of giving during a service
is part of the ritual.
Shifting that to a phone orlaptop isn't just a tech upgrade
, it's a cultural shift.
Givelify supported that changeby making the experience

(02:54):
familiar.
The platform integrates withchurch management systems.
It supports recurring donations, customisable campaigns and
event-based fundraising.
In other words, it didn't tryto change what giving meant,
just how it happened.
Their business model is builtaround a flat transaction fee
2.9% plus 30 cents per donation.

(03:16):
There are no monthlysubscriptions, no tiered pricing
.
That means Givelify only earnswhen their users receive
donations.
It aligns the company's growthwith the success of its clients.
This model also lowers thebarrier for smaller
organizations.
A church or nonprofit with alimited budget can use Givelify

(03:36):
without upfront costs orcontracts.
That accessibility has been akey reason the platform's grown
so widely has been a key reasonthe platform's grown so widely.
They've also expanded theiroffering because there's now an
analytics dashboard with AIinsights into donor behavior,
donor segmentation tools andreal-time donation feeds for

(03:57):
events.
These aren't gimmicks.
They're features designed tohelp organizations understand
and grow their donor base.
One of the most consistentpieces of feedback about
Givelify is the quality of theircustomer service.
Reviewers highlight quickresponse times, helpful answers
and genuine engagement.
That suggests Givelify has putreal thought into how they hire

(04:21):
and train their team.
Even though we don't havedetailed internal hiring data,
that kind of feedback doesn'thappen by accident.
Detailed internal hiring data.
That kind of feedback doesn'thappen by accident.
It's likely they've prioritizedempathy, clarity and
communication skills in theirremote hires, especially given
that they serve organizationswith varying levels of tech
experience.
The company has also made somestrategic marketing moves.

(04:45):
First, they've leaned heavilyon user experience.
With a 4.9 out of 5 star ratingand over 100,000 app reviews,
the product itself drives wordof mouth.
Second, givelify has beenintentional about community.
Their 2021 relaunch focused oncelebrating what they called the

(05:07):
world's most generous digitalgiving community.
They positioned the platform asmore than a tool.
It became a gathering place forlike-minded givers.
Third, they've serveddemographics that often go
underserved, particularly Black,latino and rural communities.
These groups sometimes facebarriers in accessing modern

(05:28):
financial tools.
Givelify made it a point toserve them directly.
Another growth lever has beenplatform integrations.
By partnering with softwarealready used in churches like
Shelby, next Power Church,servant Keeper and others,
givelify became easier to adoptFor many organizations.
That integration removed theneed to juggle systems.

(05:49):
Then came the pandemicIn-person services were paused
and giving needed to happenonline.
Givelify was already in place,tested, secure and simple.
As demand for digital givingsurged, they were ready.
In 2020, 81% of faith-basedorganizations saw increases in
online donations.

(06:10):
At the same time, 55% of donorsincreased or maintained their
giving.
That external shift acceleratedGivelify's growth, but what
mattered is they were preparedfor it.
Growth didn't stop with adoption.
Givelify continued improvingthe platform.
They launched new features likedonor intelligence and
engagement tools.

(06:30):
These allowed organizations tomove from reactive to proactive
analyzing data, identifyingtrends and personalizing
outreach.
They've also reported somestriking numbers.
The average annual donorcontribution on Givelify is
nearly $4,000, about five timesthe national average.
That speaks not just to thesize of donations but to

(06:53):
frequency and retention.
It's a sign that the platformisn't just functional, it's
sticky.
Looking at the businessholistically, what stands out is
alignment.
The revenue model aligns withcustomer success.
The design aligns with userneeds.
The mission aligns withcommunity values.
That kind of internalconsistency builds resilience.

(07:15):
So what are the lessons here forfounders, especially those
building remotely?
First, build trust early.
If you're handling money, dataor critical workflows, trust is
your foundation.
That might mean longeronboarding or more compliance.
It's worth it.
Second, simplify relentlessly.
Giblify's three-tap donationisn't just a UX feature, it's a

(07:40):
philosophy.
Complexity kills momentum.
Simplicity drives scale.
Third, tie your revenue to yourcustomers' outcomes.
When you grow together, you'rebuilding something sustainable.
Fourth, don't ignore nichemarkets.
Often the biggest opportunitiesare in places others overlook.
Serve them well and they becomeloyal long-term users.

(08:03):
Finally, stay adaptable.
Givelify didn't rely on onefeature or one campaign.
They kept evolving.
That allowed them to meet themoment when external conditions
changed.
Wally built Givelify to connectpeople to their desire to do
good and he did it by removingbarriers.
It's a remote first company inprinciple, in product and in

(08:27):
practice is proof that locationindependence can drive
real-world impact, not justconvenience.
That's it for this episode ofthe Remote Work Life podcast.
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