HandUp operates a platform that connects individual donors to specific homeless people by cataloguing their stories and needs with partner nonprofits. The platform routes funds through nonprofit partners to ensure donations are used for their intended purposes. It currently supports four nonprofits and roughly 200 homeless people in San Francisco, who are receiving about $200 per month on average. Co-founder Rose Broome incubated the company through the urban ventures program Tumml. HandUp plans to expand nationally by partnering with nonprofits in other cities. The startup has received in-kind support from companies like Twilio and Stripe for payments and office space from Pivotal; Jack Dorsey has also donated through the site. HandUp is a San Francisco service that enables direct donations to homeless individuals through profile cards and a secure SMS system; transactions can be completed on an iPhone and the platform integrates with Twilio and Stripe. The startup emphasizes a human touch: members can share personal stories and request specific items such as dentures or a new phone, and 100% of donations go to essentials like food, clothing, and medical care. Donors use a profile card provided to members to make donations, and recipients can redeem donations through partners such as North Beach Citizens and Project Homeless Connect. In its first months the team has signed up about 100 homeless people in San Francisco and won the Launch conference’s “Social Impact” award. Founders Rose Broome and cofounder Zac Witte introduced a new feature called HandUp Communities to let donors and homeless members opt in to message one another. The company has disclosed fundraising goals and has secured $350,000 from local tech investors.

Total raised

$0M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2014