In the latest episode of Curve Ahead, I had the privilege of interviewing Dan Locke, co-founder and CEO of Giv. This innovative platform integrates charitable giving into sales and marketing strategies, fostering authentic connections while driving business results. With a background spanning industries like SaaS, franchising, and consulting, Dan brings a unique perspective on how purpose-driven outreach can transform business interactions.
What is Giv?
At its core, Giv is a platform that turns meetings, emails, and website interactions into opportunities for social impact. By enabling users to donate to a charity in exchange for a meeting or engagement, Giv creates a personalized and emotional connection between businesses and their prospects. As Dan puts it, “It’s a way to target socially conscious businesspeople while fostering authentic relationships.”
Key Benefits of Charitable Giving in Marketing
Enhanced Engagement
According to Dan, using charitable giving as a tool for outreach leads to higher response rates, especially when targeting prospects with a history of volunteering or philanthropy.Emotional Connections
Giv facilitates meaningful interactions by enabling sales and marketing professionals to align their outreach with causes that resonate with their prospects.ROI on Corporate Giving
Businesses can measure the ROI of charitable donations in the same way they measure customer acquisition costs for traditional ads, making it a compelling option for socially conscious companies.Flexibility for Fundraising and Outreach
Giv offers two distinct use cases:- Donation Offers: Salespeople and marketers can encourage meetings by offering a donation to a charity of the prospect’s choice.
- Fundraising Pages: Business leaders can create pages to collect donations, promote causes, and even attract talent.
How Giv Stands Out
Unlike traditional gifting platforms, Giv focuses on leveraging charitable giving as a core outreach strategy. It integrates seamlessly with tools like Calendly and marketing automation systems, providing an intuitive way to incorporate philanthropy into everyday business practices.
Dan’s insights highlight how this approach aligns with broader trends in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and purpose-driven marketing. For example:
- Employers who donate publicly experience better employee engagement and retention.
- Nonprofit fundraising campaigns often achieve higher engagement rates than traditional sales campaigns.
Challenges of Multi-Sided Marketplaces
Dan also shared the challenges of building a multi-sided marketplace like Giv. With its quadruple-sided model, the platform connects sales professionals, marketers, charities, and business leaders in a unique ecosystem. While this complexity presents hurdles, it also offers unparalleled opportunities for innovation and impact.
Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
Dan’s entrepreneurial journey—from building a pizza franchise to launching Give—underscores the importance of resilience, innovation, and learning from failure. For businesses looking to integrate charitable giving into their strategies, Giv provides a powerful tool to build trust, engagement, and authentic relationships.
As Dan Locke says, “Giv is more than just a platform—it’s a movement to create business results through social impact.” By turning everyday interactions into opportunities for giving, Give empowers businesses to foster meaningful relationships while contributing to causes that matter.