What Does GiveForward Do?

Total employees35
HeadquartersChicago
Founded2008

GiveForward was a pioneering online fundraising platform founded in 2008, dedicated to helping individuals and families raise money for medical expenses, out-of-pocket costs, and other life events. It provided a user-friendly way for people to share their stories and receive financial support from their communities. Known for its compassionate approach and focus on personal fundraising, GiveForward empowered countless individuals to navigate financial challenges during difficult times. In 2017, GiveForward was acquired by GoFundMe, a leading global crowdfunding platform, with its operations and community integrated into GoFundMe's broader services.

Where Is GiveForward's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the central hub for GiveForward's operations, including platform development, customer support, marketing, and business strategy, prior to its acquisition by GoFundMe in 2017.

Notable Features:

As a tech startup, the office likely featured an open-plan layout to encourage collaboration, common for companies in the tech industry in Chicago. Specific architectural highlights are not widely publicized.

Work Culture:

GiveForward was known for a compassionate, mission-driven, and collaborative work culture. Employees were reportedly deeply connected to the company's goal of helping individuals facing medical and financial hardships.

HQ Significance:

The Chicago HQ was pivotal as the operational base from which GiveForward grew to become a significant player in the online medical fundraising sector before its eventual acquisition.

Values Reflected in HQ: The workspace likely aimed to reflect GiveForward's core values: empathy, community, support, and innovation in providing accessible fundraising tools.

Location:

Prior to its 2017 acquisition by GoFundMe, GiveForward primarily served users in the United States. However, its online platform was accessible globally, allowing individuals from around the world to contribute to campaigns. This enabled international support for U.S.-based fundraisers. Since being integrated into GoFundMe, its legacy contributes to GoFundMe's extensive global fundraising capabilities across numerous countries and languages.

Street Address:

312 W Superior St, Ste 300

City:

Chicago

State/Province:

Illinois

Country:

USA

Where Else Does GiveForward Operate Around the World?

N/A - Operations Primarily Centralized

Address: N/A

N/A

Buying Intent Signals for GiveForward

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading GiveForward? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, GiveForward' leadership includes:

Desiree Vargas Wrigley - Co-Founder & CEO (Former)
Ethan Austin - Co-Founder & President (Former)

Who's Investing in GiveForward?

GiveForward has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Founder Collective
Techstars Chicago
Hyde Park Venture Partners
Pritzker Group Venture Capital
August Capital
Firestarter Fund
OCA Ventures
Tom Peterson

What Leadership Changes Has GiveForward Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

GiveForward was acquired by GoFundMe in 2017 and no longer operates as an independent entity. Therefore, there have been no executive hires or exits specifically for GiveForward in the last 12 months. Key leadership transitions occurred prior to and during the acquisition.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byGiveForward?

Discover the tools GiveForward uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

GiveForward Email Formats and Examples

Historically, common email formats for GiveForward likely included variations of [first_initial][last]@[companydomain] (e.g., jdoe@giveforward.com) or [first].[last]@[companydomain] (e.g., jane.doe@giveforward.com). As GiveForward was acquired by GoFundMe in 2017 and its domain is no longer actively used for company operations, these email formats are not current.

[first].[last]@giveforward.com or [first_initial][last]@giveforward.com (Historical)

Format

j.doe@giveforward.com (example of a historical format)

Example

0%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About GiveForward?

TechCrunchFebruary 9, 2017

GoFundMe acquires medical fundraising site GiveForward

GoFundMe announced its acquisition of GiveForward, a venture-backed crowdfunding site specializing in helping people raise money for medical expenses. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. GiveForward had raised over $10 million from investors like Founder Collective and August Capital. The acquisition aimed to combine GiveForward's dedicated community and expertise in medical fundraising with GoFundMe's larger scale and broader reach....more

Crain's Chicago BusinessOctober 10, 2013

GiveForward raises $2 million more from investors

GiveForward Inc., a Chicago-based company enabling online fundraising for medical expenses, secured an additional $2 million in venture funding. The round was led by existing investor Founder Collective and included participation from Techstars, Hyde Park Venture Partners, and Pritzker Group Venture Capital, aiming to fuel the platform's growth and feature development....more

TechCrunchAugust 16, 2012

Medical Fundraising Platform GiveForward Raises $2M Series A From Founder Collective, Others

Chicago-based GiveForward, a platform for medical expense fundraising, announced a $2 million Series A financing round. The funding was led by Founder Collective, with contributions from Techstars, Firestarter Fund, and individual angel investors. This capital was intended to expand its team and enhance its platform offerings....more

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