At Yeshivat Frisch, a highlight of senior year is the spring semester internship program, which encourages students to find job opportunities in fields that interest them so they can gain practical, hands-on experience for potential careers. Because of COVID-19, the internship program was cancelled, leaving some students disappointed by the realization that they will miss out on an experience to which they were looking forward.
Morgan Lazarus and Noah Schultz refused to allow the coronavirus to derail their excitement, so together, they created CardUP.
It’s a digital fundraising platform designed to help nonprofits continue to raise necessary funds to support their organizations.
CardUP eliminates the traditional tribute card revenue model, allowing donors to customize meaningful cards sent via two digital delivery methods to make a donation online. All funds go directly to the organization with no interaction with CardUP, ensuring the safety and security of all transactions. Best of all, it is entirely free.
Schultz, who runs a small marketing business, was inspired by a project he was involved in last year for Zahal Shalom, an organization committed to healing and lifting the spirits of Israeli Defense Force veterans. The campaign, which deployed a similar approach to fundraising, was a huge success, so he figured it might be a perfect way to help local nonprofit organizations struggling during these challenging times.
“Every organization is closed and out of office support and resources necessary to generate income,” said Schultz.
“Because these nonprofits provide vital services in our community, we decided that this idea could be an invaluable resource to them as they struggle to keep funds where they need them to be,” added Lazarus.
Lazarus and Schultz have produced a professional and efficient model that they consider a modernized approach to fundraising. “Amid COVID-19, people are concerned about things coming into their homes,” said Lazarus. “Our platform allows them to achieve the same results without the potential concerns of human interaction.”
“The objective is to help these organizations survive amid the challenges COVID-19 has presented,” said Schultz, who believes this platform can be successful even once things return to normal.
“CardUP is a simple, effective and timely solution that every shul, nonprofit and community organization is invited and encouraged to take advantage of,” said Lazarus, who added that they are happy to provide the service free of charge through the summer.
Additional program features include automatic tax receipts, custom design and branding, integrations and complimentary implementation support.
According to Lazarus and Schultz, the response thus far has been outstanding. They have connected with over 100 organizations and the number keeps growing.
CardUP has also benefitted many of their fellow seniors who were hoping to find internships of their own before COVID-19. They have recruited close to 30 students who are helping with marketing, sales and technology. As word spreads and more organizations get on board, Lazarus and Schultz expect to enlist additional helpers.
The success of the initiative is very gratifying to both Lazarus and Schultz, who have been good friends for many years. Before the program got off the ground, Schultz dedicated much of his time to other COVID-19-related endeavors, using his marketing background to help communities learn and understand the rules surrounding the virus. Lazarus, an engineering enthusiast, spent time creating masks for healthcare workers.
The team at CardUP has been working from early morning into the late hours of the night, calling organizations to explain the platform and how they can integrate it into their marketing profile to make it effective.
“Our mission at the end of the day is to make them money,” said Schultz. “The experience is rewarding, especially knowing we are doing something meaningful.”
For more information about CardUP and to get started for free, please visit http://getcardup.com.
