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.

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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.

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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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