Today, Omaze announced that it has reached $100 million in funds raised, supporting the work of nearly 400 charities around the world.
Founded in 2012 by Matt Pohlson and Ryan Cummins, Omaze exists to help nonprofits create impact. Using a win-win model, the company connects donors, talent (celebrities) and brands to raise funds and awareness for charities. Omaze has launched nearly 700 campaigns across categories including entertainment, sports and music. Since founding, the company has partnered with charities working across women’s issues, children’s services, animal welfare, disaster relief, health and many more.
“We’re really grateful for the generosity of the Omaze community, and the passion of our talent and cause partners in reaching this milestone,” said Matt Pohlson, CEO and co-founder of Omaze. “They’ve not only helped us raise $100 million. They’ve helped build an entirely new children’s hospice center in the UK through our partnership with Julia’s House. They’ve helped provide over 15,000 HIV tests provided for at-risk populations through our work with Broadway Cares. They’ve empowered one of our winners who went on to launch her own nonprofit. And there are so many more examples. We’re incredibly lucky to see the results of our work everyday through the dedication of everyone we’ve partnered with to get here.”
By offering the chance to win a walk on role in Star Wars, wine tasting with Jennifer Lawrence, or a custom made Aston Martin with just $10, new audiences are engaged that may not otherwise be contributing to these critical causes. These campaigns have inspired donations from more than 180 countries, and this type of reach creates entirely new streams of income for charities that can be immediately put to use. As stated by one of these nonprofit partners, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles:
“We’re a health care provider first and foremost. Roughly one thousand patients walk through our doors every day, and caring for them is our primary job,” said Dinah Stephens, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. “Partnering with an organization like Omaze allows us to tap into opportunities and fundraising potential in a way that’s minimally staff intensive, letting us keep our focus and our resources where they are needed most.”
This model works because Omaze is uniquely positioned to tap into today’s cultural moments and create meaning around them. Proven by campaigns like those supporting Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, Omaze fills a unique need for talent and brands to be a part of something meaningful and to engage their audiences around it. Looking forward, Omaze aims to harness that energy and enthusiasm to see its long-term vision come to life – a world where every audience creates impact.
The future of the company is based on continuing to challenge conventional thinking around what’s possible in fundraising. In the past year Omaze completed a $12 million Series B round led by FirstMark Capital, which supported the expansion of in-house tech, data science, social media and content capabilities. These investments allowed Omaze to scale the services it believes drive the most value to donors. This includes deepening partnerships within the film, tv, music and sports verticals, expanding into new areas with food, travel, gaming, authors, and business leaders, and launching a brand partnership practice.
Reaching $100 million is the first big milestone in the company’s quest to make giving effortless and rewarding, creating a world in which nonprofits focus on what they do best – serving their mission.
