Between attending a string of festive parties and checking boxes off your shopping list, there’s not a lot of time to spare during the holiday season. While this time of year presents a lot to balance and not enough time, it's still important to find opportunities to give back to the community. A number of New York tech startups and programs have stepped up to the plate, giving back in the only way they know how—through innovation.
1. Open to Give
NYC startup Open to Give debuted on Dec. 8 to explore a feel-good approach to email marketing. The platform enables companies to pledge a certain amount of money to a charitable organization per every subscriber who opens their marketing emails. Open to Give uniquely integrates donations into email marketing strategies, which incentivizes a company’s customer base to open their emails and engage with a brand on behalf of their social conscious. Open to Give’s service is a win-win for companies, customers and charities.
2. Robin Hood Education + Technology Fund
On Dec. 8, Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, announced a $25 million initiative called the Robin Hood Education + Technology Fund. While not technically a startup, the Fund is a five-year program that will implement technology education into New York City’s schools and improve outcomes for low-income students. The objective of the program is to enhance the learning experience for students and transform education through technology. Edtech expert and co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute (a nonprofit think tank), Michael B. Horn, will lead the initiative and oversee the Fund’s investment strategy.
3. MakeSpace
is an NYC startup that simplifies the storage process. The on-demand storage company is a one-stop shop that will pick up your items, take them to a storage facility and bring them back at the tap of a button. The company also makes it seamless to donate unwanted items to Goodwill. When a customer uses the service, MakeSpace drops off a number of storage bins for customers to fill along with a Goodwill bag. While storing items often leads to purging items, MakeSpace encourages customers to put any donations into the bag for the MakeSpace team to drop off at local GoodWill facilities. This service is available in New York, Chicago and Washington DC.
4. Grovo
Workplace learning platform
wants to make volunteering a habit. On the first Friday afternoon for each month, Grovo allows employees to take paid time away from work to participate in service activities around New York. In the past, employees donated their time and skills to The Bowery Mission in Harlem by leading professional development workshops.
5. ClassPass
This holiday season,
partnered with a number of charities to make volunteering as regular as your workout routine. The company allows members to book volunteer time directly through their ClassPass account, as they would if they were booking a fitness class. In New York, members can volunteer with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, which takes unwanted food to the hungry or homeless.
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