Eleven Startups Showcase AI-Powered Innovation for Social Impact in Blackbaud's 2026 Social Good Startup Pitch Competition
Blackbaud’s 2026 Social Good Startup Pitch Competition features 11 AI-driven tools for social impact and adds public voting ahead of bbcon 2026.
Rhea-AI Summary
Blackbaud (BLKB) hosted its 2026 Social Good Startup Program pitch showcase, featuring 11 AI-focused startups building tools for nonprofits, educators, grantmakers and socially responsible companies.
The startups demonstrated integrated solutions for grantmaking, fundraising, volunteer engagement, donor intelligence and strategic planning, many connecting to products such as Raiser's Edge NXT®. A panel of Blackbaud judges will select a winner, while public voting for a People's Choice award is open until Sept. 30, with both winners to be announced at bbcon 2026 on Oct. 1.
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Key Figures
- Cohort size
- 11 startups
- 2026 Social Good Startup Program showcase
- Reported fundraising outcome
- $4.5 million
- Raised by one nonprofit after implementing a featured strategic planning platform
- Voting deadline
- 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30
- People's Choice voting
- Winner announcement
- Oct. 1
- Judges' Choice and People's Choice winners at bbcon 2026
- Program reach
- More than 95 startups
- Supported since the program launched in 2020
- Integrated solutions
- More than 40
- New app solutions brought to the Blackbaud Marketplace
- Startup success rate
- 84%
- Program-reported success rate
- Startups still operating
- 80 of 95
- Program cohort history
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Founders share how their solutions can help nonprofits, educational institutions, grantmakers and socially responsible companies accelerate impact through the Blackbaud ecosystem
"Blackbaud is an industry leader in trusted, purpose-built technology that powers the social impact sector, and our Social Good Startup Program helps us bring even more innovation to the organizations we serve," said Kevin McDearis, chief technology officer, Blackbaud. "Through this program, our customers benefit from the creativity, speed and specialized expertise of emerging startups while remaining connected to the trusted ecosystem, scale and sector expertise they rely on from Blackbaud. Together, we're helping social impact organizations access the next generation of AI-powered solutions that can accelerate their missions."
New Solutions for Social Impact—Vote for the People's Choice Winner
Startups in the 2026 cohort are leveraging AI in unique ways to help purpose-driven organizations work more efficiently, make more informed decisions and amplify outcomes.
During the showcase, founders shared how their innovative solutions address critical challenges across grantmaking, nonprofit operations, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, donor intelligence and mission delivery.
The pitches highlighted solutions with real-world impact, including an AI-first, mobile-friendly form tool that simplifies form creation and form response; an AI social worker that helps agencies connect people more efficiently with potentially life-changing services; and a strategic planning platform that turns planning documents into living management systems, with one nonprofit raising
A panel of Blackbaud judges evaluated each pitch, asked questions, and will select a winner. Blackbaud customers and the public now also have the chance to vote for the solution they think has the most potential to help social impact organizations overcome pressing operational and mission-related challenges.
Both the Judges' Choice and People's Choice winners will be announced live on the main stage at bbcon 2026 on Oct. 1. Voting will remain open through 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30. Winners will receive an exhibitor-level sponsorship for bbcon 2027 as well as dedicated marketing and executive coaching opportunities.
The 2026 Program
The 2026 Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program cohort includes:
- AppsNXT, which helps nonprofits, educational institutions and healthcare organizations streamline fundraising and event management workflows.
- Bridgit, which simplifies charity data management and integrations.
- DonorAtlas, an AI-native donor intelligence platform designed to help fundraisers identify and engage prospective supporters.
- Givalgo, which uses AI agents to automate grantmaking and due diligence processes.
- Grasshopper Signup, which leverages AI to create and manage event registration experiences.
- Kindora, which helps nonprofits identify and pursue funding opportunities through AI-powered grant discovery.
- MatchNice, a platform designed to expand donor participation through real-time donation matching.
- NetOutlook, which offers SwiftGrants and Aqueduct Analytics, solutions focused on grant management, reporting and analytics within the nonprofit sector.
- PlanPerfect, an AI-assisted strategic planning and risk management platform.
- Untapped Solutions, which supports organizations serving underserved populations through modern program management tools.
- Vitalcy, which uses AI-powered engagement capabilities to strengthen nonprofit communities and donor relationships.
Through the Social Good Startup Program, participating companies receive mentorship, market access, funding opportunities and accelerated pathways into Blackbaud's partner ecosystem and Marketplace, making it easier for customers to discover and adopt emerging technologies that address evolving needs.
Since the launch of the Social Good Startup Program in 2020, Blackbaud has supported more than 95 startups through 12 cohorts, helping bring more than 40 new integrated app solutions to the Blackbaud Marketplace and fostering innovation across the social impact technology landscape. The Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program has seen an impressive
About the Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program
The Blackbaud Social Good Startup Program is a year-long technology accelerator designed to help early-stage software companies scale solutions that address challenges facing nonprofits, educational institutions and socially responsible organizations. Participants receive access to Blackbaud resources, mentorship, funding opportunities and connections to customers and partners across the social impact sector. Companies selected for the program are fast-tracked into Blackbaud's partner ecosystem, creating opportunities for integration and collaboration that extend innovation throughout the social impact community.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact. Serving nonprofits, educational institutions, companies committed to corporate social responsibility, and individual change makers, Blackbaud propels impact at scale with the sector's most intelligent solutions for fundraising and engagement, education solutions, financial management and CSR and grantmaking. With the deepest expertise powered by the world's largest philanthropic data set, the most connected workflows, and the most powerful impact network, Blackbaud's solutions are building a future where resources are unleashed at the speed of need. Blackbaud has been recognized by Fast Company, Newsweek, Quartz, Forbes and more for AI innovation, responsible leadership and workplace excellence. Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
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Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
How can people participate in choosing a winner for the 2026 Social Good Startup Pitch Competition?
Blackbaud customers and the public can vote for the People's Choice winner by selecting the solution they believe has the most potential to help social impact organizations address operational and mission-related challenges. Voting remains open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30.
When and where will the winners of the pitch competition be announced?
Both the Judges' Choice and People's Choice winners will be announced live on the main stage at bbcon 2026 on Oct. 1.
What do the winning startups receive from Blackbaud?
The winners receive an exhibitor-level sponsorship for bbcon 2027, along with dedicated marketing and executive coaching opportunities.
Which startups are included in Blackbaud's 2026 Social Good Startup Program cohort?
The 2026 cohort includes: AppsNXT, Bridgit, DonorAtlas, Givalgo, Grasshopper Signup, Kindora, MatchNice, NetOutlook, PlanPerfect, Untapped Solutions and Vitalcy.
What kinds of solutions did the founders showcase during the event?
Founders showcased AI-powered solutions for grantmaking, nonprofit operations, volunteer engagement, strategic planning, donor intelligence and mission delivery. Examples included an AI-first form tool, an AI social worker to connect people with services, and a strategic planning platform that helped one nonprofit raise $4.5 million after implementation.
How does the Social Good Startup Program support participating companies?
Participating startups receive mentorship, market access, funding opportunities and accelerated pathways into Blackbaud's partner ecosystem and Marketplace, which helps customers more easily find and adopt emerging technologies.
What impact has the Social Good Startup Program had since its launch?
Since 2020, the program has supported more than 95 startups across 12 cohorts, helped bring over 40 integrated app solutions to the Blackbaud Marketplace, and has an 84% success rate, with 80 of the 95 startups still operating.