By Sean Donnelly on 13th January 2026
Bridgit Selected for Blackbaud’s Social Good Startup Program – A Launchpad for Innovation and Impact
We are proud to announce that Bridgit has been selected to join Blackbaud’s Social Good Startup Program starting in January 2026. This is a happy milestone for our team and powerful validation of our mission to make life easier for the people powering good causes.
London, UK (13th January 2026) – We are proud to announce that Bridgit has been selected to join into Blackbaud’s Social Good Startup Program starting in January 2026. This is a happy milestone for our team and powerful validation of our mission to make life easier for the people powering good causes. Blackbaud – the world’s leading software provider for social impact, trusted by thousands of nonprofits, foundations and educational institutions – runs this tech accelerator to amplify the impact of startups like ours[1]. Being part of this program not only recognises Bridgit’s innovative approach to charity data integration, but also positions us to accelerate our growth and social impact in unprecedented ways.
About the Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program
Blackbaud’s Social Good Startup Program is a year-long tech accelerator designed for early-stage software companies dedicated to solving problems that matter to the social good community[2][3]. In essence, it’s an accelerator like no other – leveraging Blackbaud’s extensive network and expertise in the nonprofit sector to help mission-driven startups scale. Participants gain expert tech mentorship and direct access to Blackbaud’s powerful ecosystem, connecting us with a vast network of nonprofits and social good organisations[1]. As Jerry Needel, Blackbaud’s Vice President of Innovation & Incubation, explained, Blackbaud is “proud to help these highly innovative companies grow faster, ultimately helping our social impact customers reach their missions”[4].
Rosalyn Lemieux, Director, Product Management and Strategy at Blackbaud added “The Social Good Startup Program is more than an accelerator—it’s a catalyst for innovation in the social impact space. By connecting these visionary founders with Blackbaud’s ecosystem, we’re helping them scale solutions that empower nonprofits and socially responsible organisations to achieve more than ever before”[26].
For Bridgit, this means a chance to fast-track our development and deepen our ability to serve charities, especially as we expand to support American nonprofits.
Exclusive Perks That Propel Growth
As members of the Social Good Startup Program, we will enjoy a suite of perks and resources that are truly game-changing for an early-stage company. Some of the key benefits include[5][6]:
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Technical Integration Support: Priority access to a shared sandbox of Blackbaud’s SKY® Developer Platform for building and testing integrations, plus expedited review to publish our solution on the Blackbaud Marketplace[7]. This means Bridgit can seamlessly connect with Blackbaud’s products, enabling charities to plug our tools into their existing software with ease.
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Fast-Track Partnerships: Automatic, fast-tracked entry into Blackbaud’s Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner Network, opening doors to co-marketing and co-selling opportunities[8]. We also gain exclusive access to speak at and sponsor major Blackbaud events (like the bbcon conference), where we can showcase Bridgit’s value to thousands of nonprofit professionals[9].
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Mentorship and Networking: Curated mentorship from Blackbaud’s industry experts and one-on-one guidance to refine our growth plan[3]. We’ll have opportunities to pitch our solution to Blackbaud’s customers and stakeholders directly[10] – an invaluable chance to get feedback from, and visibility with, leading nonprofits and foundations.
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Non-Dilutive Funding Opportunities: The program offers consideration for non-dilutive grant funding, providing potential capital injections without giving up equity[6]. In fact, at the end of each cohort, Blackbaud often hosts pitch competitions with cash prizes for top startups. (In a recent cohort, alumni like Give InKind, Change and Civic Eagle won funding awards at Blackbaud’s showcase event[11].)
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OneValley Passport Subscription: A sponsored subscription to OneValley’s Passport program gives us additional startup support services and global innovation resources[6]. Essentially, we get the best of both worlds – Blackbaud’s nonprofit sector specialisation plus a broader startup support platform.
All these benefits will supercharge Bridgit’s development over the next year. For example, integrating via Blackbaud’s platform will make it easier for charities to adopt Bridgit and streamline their data processes, while the mentorship and networking will help us fine-tune our product for maximum social impact.
A Proven Track Record of Success
One reason we’re so excited about joining this program is its proven track record. The Social Good Startup Program has a history of turning innovative ideas into high-impact, sustainable companies. Over the last five years, Blackbaud’s accelerator has produced 9 cohorts, graduating 68 startups that have collectively raised more than $205 million in funding[12]. Remarkably, about 90% of these startups are still operating today, far above the typical tech startup survival rate (most startups face a ~65% failure rate within 10 years)[13]. In Blackbaud’s own words, this success highlights the program’s ability to “identify and nurture the brightest innovators in the sector,” ultimately helping nonprofits achieve their missions through new technology[14].
To get a sense of the opportunity ahead, let’s look at some inspiring alumni stories from the Social Good Startup Program. These examples show what’s possible when bold ideas meet the right support – and they underscore how the ultimate measure of success is impact on the social good sector:
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FreeWill (Cohort Jan 2020): FreeWill is a social enterprise offering free online will-writing tools that empower Americans to plan their estates and leave charitable gifts easily[15]. Since participating in the program, FreeWill has grown tremendously – raising $30 million in funding – and more importantly, unlocking billions for nonprofits. To date, FreeWill has helped over 1,000,000 people create wills and generated more than $10 billion in planned and real-time donations for 10,000+ nonprofits[16]. This is a prime example of how an SGSP alum is amplifying charitable giving: by making planned giving accessible, FreeWill is funneling new resources to thousands of charities across the U.S. and beyond.
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Chariot (Cohort Jan 2024): Chariot has quickly become a game-changer in the world of donor-advised funds. It provides nonprofits with a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) fundraising solution that simplifies how organisations receive DAF grants and enables real-time donor engagement[17]. Chariot secured $15 million in investment, and its momentum is backed by strong adoption – thousands of nonprofits are already using Chariot to “raise more, and do more,” by making DAF giving easy for everyone[18]. With Chariot’s integration (including one-click DAF donation options), charities can tap into the $65 billion (and growing) pool of DAF philanthropy, thanking donors immediately and processing grants faster. This alum’s success shows how innovation can unlock new funding streams for social good.
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Plural (formerly Civic Eagle, Cohort Jan 2021): Originally known as Civic Eagle, Plural is an AI-powered legislative tracking platform that helps mission-driven organisations monitor and influence public policy[19]. Plural raised $12.5 million and has empowered nonprofits, advocacy groups, and even civic-minded companies to navigate the complex world of legislation with ease. By using artificial intelligence to aggregate and interpret bills across federal and state legislatures, Plural gives nonprofits and community advocates a stronger voice in policymaking. In other words, this startup’s success is measured not just in dollars raised, but in how it’s helping advocacy teams save time and advance their causes more effectively – a huge impact for the sector striving to shape better policies.
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Mobilize (Cohort Jan 2020): Mobilize (now part of EveryAction) illustrates how SGSP alumni have transformed volunteer engagement. Mobilize built a platform and network that allowed organisations to list events and recruit supporters for causes, from political campaigns to community nonprofits. It grew explosively – in just a few years, Mobilize attracted 3,000 organisations and more than 4 million volunteers to its network[20]. This massive volunteer turnout did not go unnoticed: Mobilize was acquired by EveryAction (a leading nonprofit software provider) in late 2020 to strengthen their offerings[21]. The acquisition is a testament to Mobilize’s impact: by making volunteer sign-ups easy and viral, it helped causes mobilize supporters at an unprecedented scale. Even post-acquisition, Mobilize’s technology continues to help nonprofits and campaigns rally their communities more efficiently.
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Give InKind (Cohort July 2021): Give InKind took a unique approach to support communities by creating a platform for coordinating in-kind donations and aid for people going through tough times (illness, new baby, crises, etc.). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for Give InKind’s social giving platform soared – at one point, the company saw 40% week-over-week growth and was adopted by over 200 hospitals and healthcare facilities to streamline meal donations for frontline workers[22]. The startup’s compassionate tech solution garnered significant attention and ultimately led to an acquisition by Wolfe, LLC in 2022[23]. Give InKind’s journey shows how a startup focused on community care can scale up rapidly when it addresses a pressing need, and how that success can translate into broader support (and resources) for the platform’s mission.
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Momentum (Cohort July 2022): Some alumni have even attracted direct investment from Blackbaud itself, highlighting how aligned their impact is with Blackbaud’s vision. One example is Momentum, a generative AI startup founded by behavioral scientists, which won Blackbaud’s 2022 Startup Showcase. Momentum’s platform integrates with Blackbaud’s Raiser's Edge NXT to help nonprofits automate and personalise donor outreach. The results have been striking: organisations using Momentum saw a 400% increase in personalised touchpoints with donors and about $60,000 per month in additional donations raised, thanks to AI-assisted fundraising communications[24]. Impressed by this potential, Blackbaud made a strategic investment in Momentum in 2023[25]. This not only provided Momentum with capital and credibility, but also signaled to the sector how important AI-driven solutions will be for the future of fundraising. For charities, it means tools like Momentum can vastly improve efficiency and outcomes in donor engagement – a win-win for everyone.
The above are just a few highlights – in total, Blackbaud’s accelerator has fostered dozens of innovative companies. Many have gone on to achieve major milestones, from FreeWill acquiring smaller startups to broaden its services[26], to alumni like Wisely and Hopeful merging together to combine their strengths in donor analytics[27]. The program’s alumni have also been recognised as industry leaders; for instance, in 2024 two alumni (FundMiner and Simpliphi) were honored as Blackbaud’s Partners of the Year for their outstanding solutions[28]. This rich alumni network is an incredible source of inspiration – and now Bridgit is proud to join their ranks.
A Launchpad for Bridgit’s Mission and Impact
For Bridgit, being part of the Social Good Startup Program is more than an accolade – it’s a launchpad to amplify our impact on the charity sector. We founded Bridgit to be the integration hub that streamlines data workflows for charities, freeing nonprofts from tedious data admin and allowing them to focus on what really matters: their missions. Now, with Blackbaud’s backing, we are even better-placed to accelerate that vision. The program will help us refine our product and ensure it complements Blackbaud’s offerings, meaning our solution can plug directly into the software ecosystems of nonprofits across the U.S. and globally.
Importantly, Blackbaud’s strong presence in the United States social good community gives us an avenue to support American charities at scale – a key goal as we expand beyond our home base in the UK and Ireland. By the end of this program, we aim to have Bridgit’s platform tightly integrated with tools that thousands of American nonprofits use daily, from fundraising tools to CRMs, including Raiser’s Edge NXT. That translates to real impact: if we can save a nonprofit staffer hours of manual data wrangling each week, that’s time returned to building relationships, raising funds and driving programs forward. In the long run, Bridgit’s success will be measured by the success of the nonprofits we serve: more efficient operations, more informed decisions and, ultimately, more lives changed for the better.
In joining the Social Good Startup Program, we’re energised by the path paved by those before us and the possibilities now ahead. The momentum coming out of this accelerator is tremendous – Blackbaud reports that 90% of alumni continue to thrive, often achieving outsised growth and impact[13]. We are determined to follow in those footsteps. Over the next year, we’ll be working closely with Blackbaud’s mentors and engaging with the broader cohort, absorbing knowledge and championing innovation in nonprofit technology.
Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this exciting journey. We plan to share behind-the-scenes insights into the program and how it’s shaping Bridgit’s development. Most of all, we look forward to turning this opportunity into tangible benefits for the charity sector. With Blackbaud’s support and the collective expertise of the Social Good Startup community, Bridgit is gearing up to bridge more tools, empower more organisations, and amplify social good like never before.
Together, we believe this will accelerate us toward our ultimate goal: a world where data admin doesn’t stand in the way of doing good - because changing the world is hard enough!
A Word from the Bridgit Founders
Last but certainly not least, our founders Mat, Bob, Rob and Sean would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Blackbaud Social Good Startup Programme team, Lizzie, Gabby and Roz, for recognising Bridgit’s potential and for their passionate advocacy and energy so far. We can’t wait to see what 2026 holds!
Sources:
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Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program – Program Overview and Benefits[5][6]
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Blackbaud Newsroom – Celebrating Five Years of Social Good Startup Program (Nov 2024)[29][13][15][30]
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FreeWill Press Release (2024) – Milestones: $10B in charitable commitments via FreeWill[16]
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GeekWire – Give InKind popularity amid pandemic[22]
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NonProfit PRO – Blackbaud Invests in Momentum (AI startup) Press Release[24][25]
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Blackbaud Press Release (Dec 2021) – Program alumni achievements and Fast Facts[31][32]
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Blackbaud Press Release (Dec 2021) – Alumni example: Wisely acquires Hopeful[33]
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Wikipedia – Mobilize (company) – volunteer network scale prior to acquisition[20]
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Chariot (GiveChariot.com) – Product site (DAF platform adoption by nonprofits)[18]
[1] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Social Good Startup Program - Blackbaud
https://www.blackbaud.com/social-good-startup-program
[2] [3] [11] [27] [31] [32] [33] Blackbaud's Social Good Startup Program Brings Innovative Tech Solutions to Mission-Based Organizations
[4] [12] [13] [14] [15] [17] [19] [21] [23] [26] [28] [29] [30] Celebrating Five Years of Blackbaud’s Social Good Startup Program - Blackbaud
[16] FreeWill Accelerates Business Momentum to Begin 2024 as America's Most Popular Online Estate Planning Platform
https://www.nonprofits.freewill.com/press/freewill-accelerates-business-momentum
[18] Donor Advised Fund Payment Option | Chariot
[20] Mobilize (company) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilize_(company)
[22] Give InKind raises more cash as social giving platform gains popularity amid pandemic – GeekWire
[24] [25] Blackbaud Invests in Generative AI Startup for Social Impact
https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/blackbaud-invests-generative-ai-startup-social-impact/
[26] Blackbaud Welcomes 12 Innovative Startups to its Social Good Tech Accelerator