Network for Good

Network for Good
Name	Network for Good
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2001
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Area served	United States
Focus	Charitable giving, nonprofit fundraising, donor management

Network for Good is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that operated online fundraising and donor management services for charities and individual donors. Established in the early 2000s, it emerged amid rapid growth in internet philanthropy alongside technology ventures and philanthropic intermediaries. The organization worked with thousands of nonprofit partners to process donations, provide donor-advised fund services, and offer fundraising software.

History

Network for Good was founded in 2001 during the dot-com era when online platforms such as PayPal, Amazon.com, eBay, Google and early charitable portals sought to digitalize giving. Its inception coincided with philanthropic initiatives by organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and corporate philanthropy efforts from Microsoft and Intel. The organization grew as online giving expanded through platforms including GlobalGiving, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. In the 2000s and 2010s, strategic developments in the nonprofit sector driven by actors like United Way Worldwide, American Red Cross, Salvation Army (United States) and technology vendors influenced its service offerings. Leadership transitions and product iterations paralleled trends exemplified by firms such as Blackbaud, CiviCRM, and Salesforce (including Salesforce.org), which shaped fundraising CRM expectations. Network for Good navigated regulatory contexts impacted by laws like the Patriot Act (financial compliance) and oversight from state charitable solicitation regulators and organizations like the National Association of State Charity Officials.

Mission and Services

The organization's stated mission emphasized simplifying philanthropy to increase charitable giving and strengthen nonprofit capacity. Services targeted small and mid-sized nonprofits, alongside individual donors and corporate giving programs. Typical offerings included online donation processing, donor-advised fund administration, email fundraising tools, peer-to-peer campaign support, and basic donor relationship management. Comparable services in the sector were provided by DonorPerfect, Bloomerang, Classy (company), and Kindful, while advisory and accreditation functions intersected with entities like Better Business Bureau and CharityWatch. Network for Good collaborated with philanthropic intermediaries such as Community Foundation networks, corporate philanthropy arms like Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and fiscal sponsors including Tides (organization).

Technology and Platform

Network for Good's technology stack emphasized payment processing integrations, CRM capabilities, and reporting dashboards. The platform interfaced with payment processors similar to those used by Stripe, Square, Inc., and First Data Corporation. Data security and privacy measures aligned with standards referenced by institutions like the Federal Trade Commission and compliance expectations set by payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard. Its product development reflected competitive pressures from enterprise software providers like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), as well as open-source alternatives like Drupal and WordPress. API connectivity, integration partners, and platform extensibility were areas of emphasis in comparisons with peer vendors such as Blackbaud and Salesforce foundations offering nonprofit solutions.

Funding and Financials

Funding sources for organizations in this field traditionally included philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, transaction fees, service subscriptions, and donor-advised fund contributions. Network for Good's revenue model combined transaction processing fees with software-as-a-service subscriptions and philanthropic support. Comparable funding dynamics were observed at nonprofits and intermediaries including Candid (organization), formed from GuideStar and Foundation Center, and donor-advised fund operators like Fidelity Charitable and Schwab Charitable. Financial oversight practices were informed by accounting standards from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and nonprofit governance best practices advocated by Independent Sector and audit firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte.

Partnerships and Impact

The organization partnered with a range of nonprofit and corporate entities to expand fundraising reach and donor engagement. Collaborations included campaigns with organizations like American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and university advancement offices at institutions such as Harvard University and Stanford University for specific initiatives. Corporate partnerships resembled alliances formed by Google.org, Microsoft Philanthropies, and corporate giving programs at Target Corporation and Walmart Foundation. Evaluations of impact drew on metrics similar to those used by Charity Navigator, GiveWell, and philanthropic research centers at universities like Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Criticism and Controversies

Organizations operating in online giving and donor services have faced scrutiny over fee transparency, data stewardship, and donor-advised fund administration. Critiques directed at intermediaries in the sector raised issues similar to debates involving Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and fundraising platforms like GoFundMe regarding fee structures and fund distribution practices. Privacy advocates referencing standards from Electronic Frontier Foundation and regulatory inquiries from agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission have highlighted concerns about donor data use, marketing, and consent. Other controversies across the field involved disputes over customer support, contract terms with nonprofit clients, and competitive practices contested by vendors in the fundraising technology ecosystem including Blackbaud and Classy (company).

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States