Area business to create partnerships between businesses and nonprofits
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> New local business Knitt is on a mission to build stronger communities through smarter giving.
Knitt is a soon-to-be-launched online platform that creates partnerships between businesses and nonprofits.
For corporate donors, Knitt is designed to be a beneficial tool for handling philanthropic giving. Businesses seeking mindful partnerships can use Knitt to identify nonprofits with missions that align with their values. It also manages charitable giving while decreasing the amount of requests from organizations that are not a fit.
From the nonprofit perspective, Knitt is a service that connects nonprofits to warm leads. Additionally, Knitt can manage corporate donors and outreach when seeking out new relationships.
For both parties, the experience is meant to be personal, time efficient and impactful.
This new business concept was created by founder Lisa Munter. A Middle Grove resident, Munter has worked with various nonprofits in different capacities for the last 15 years. “Regardless of the size and nature of the organization, the number one issue is always outreach, and trying to find the next level of support,” she said.
On the other hand, Munter is married to a business owned who gets flooded with requests for donations on a monthly basis.
Through these experiences, Munter identified that there was a connector piece missing between the two types of organizations, so she chose to make it with Knitt. “I listened for years and decided to do something about it,” Munter said.
Over the past two years, since participating in the Saratoga County Chamber’s Leadership Saratoga program in 2016, Munter developed Knitt to help address the common pain points both nonprofits and businesses experience when it comes to philanthropy.
Currently, Knitt is preparing for its public launch in January 2020 by signing up clients.
Businesses interested in trying Knitt can get on the platform free for two months. Saratoga County Chamber members will receive an additional month for free. For those who choose to continue using Knitt, membership rates will take place.
Nonprofits can also check out Knitt for free, until they reach a certain threshold of new donations from partners that they weren’t connected to before. Then, membership rates will apply.
While Knitt is focusing on the Capital Region during its launch, the platform can be used nationwide.
Munter’s ultimate goal is for Knitt to bring the right people together, so the platform can create
lots of meaningful, mindful connections between nonprofits and businesses that align with both of their missions.
Saratoga County Chamber president Todd Shimkus believes that Knitt could provide a solution to issues faced by both businesses and nonprofits in the area.
“It’s one of those times where I think both sides of that equation have an urgent need - on the one side it’s to manage the requests and on the other side it’s to find who’s really interested. I think this has some real opportunity to make those matches in a more powerful, efficient way,” he said.
“I think one of the things that businesses find so challenging here in Saratoga in particular is that they are frankly inundated with requests for donations,” Shimkus shared. “It is a little overwhelming for the business community. We’ve got so many great causes and charities and nonprofits that when you get everybody doing the same thing, it’s really challenging for the private sector side.”
With the introduction of Knitt, this problem could be solved.
“I think Knitt is a really interesting, intriguing idea in terms of helping businesses to manage those requests, and to figure out
ure out how they make a difference in the community without overwhelming their budgets,” Shimkus continued.
For the nonprofits, Shimkus realizes that seeking donations can be difficult too.
“It could also make this easier for nonprofits,” he added. “If you join and become part of the Knitt community it would match your nonprofit, your cause up with donors that are interested in that mission or cause.”
Those interested in signing up for Knitt can request more information online at getknitt.com.