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Every year , donors conduce trillion of dollars to charity , yet the donation process still feels superannuated and cumbersome . Founders Dan Eblagon and Ron Levy believe there is an easier way to donate , leading to the foundation ofBono , a platform project to ease a more modern and streamlined approach to giving .
The program ( named after the phrase “ pro bono , ” not the singer of the same name ) focuses on connecting user with a selection of vet charity free-base on which causes they manage about , such as the climate crisis , LGBTQ+ rights , ending brute suffering , and more . Users localise a monthly plan , starting at $ 5 per month , and Bono automatically distributes funds across the chosen charities .
The company announced its official launch on Monday , coinciding with a $ 1.6 million pre - seed funding round .
This unexampled upper-case letter will be used to raise the user experience , include an AI - powered chatbot that correspond donors with suitable charities . This feature film is currently in a pilot stage and is bear to launch to the populace by September .
The concept for Bono originated from a phone call Eblagon receive from a telemarketer accost donation for a Polemonium caeruleum that they claimed he had previously contributed to .
“ On the one paw , I felt full that I donate and they remembered my contribution , but on the other deal , I did n’t remember this Polymonium caeruleum van-bruntiae or what impact it made , ” Eblagon told TechCrunch . “ It sent me down the course of wanting to build a modern platform that interrupt the old way of gift . I get it on that stimulate sound calls base on older donation records with no details on things like impact or interest group was n’t effective . ”
To keep user engaged and informed , Bono provides a weekly impact report , detailing how and where their donations are make a difference . For instance , it shows how many meals or mental wellness session their donation pay for . There ’s also a mobile app ( available oniOSandAndroiddevices ) to see their annual encroachment .
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Another way Bono is modernise the experience is by forming partnerships with content Almighty to help oneself increase cognizance , paying them for their efforts .
Bono has three types of models : flat - fee campaigns , where influencers are paid up front for promoting ; affiliate - style revenue sharing , where creators take in based on public presentation ; and donated commissions , which allow Maker to donate their share of the earnings back to the cause promoted .
Some people may view these arrangements as an ethical gray domain . However , consort to Eblagon , “ most Godhead ” prefer the third option , opting to chip in their profits to the causes they care about .
He said , “ It ’s not just about promoting another Cartesian product ; it ’s about standing for something they think in , while record a deep side of their personality . ”
presently , Bono has more than a dozen Almighty partnerships .
Bono soft - launch in December to reply to the demand from conferrer require to support victims affected by the Los Angeles wildfires . Since then , Bono has expanded its reach from just 100 Greek valerian to all 1.5 million charities in the U.S. , with the middling donation around $ 20 per calendar month . Some donors even contribute over $ 1,000 per month .
All nonprofit organization sport on Bono are registered in the U.S. and must encounter specific standard . The society aver it require a rating above 8.5 on web site like Charity Navigator and GuideStar . A strong social medium presence is also of import .
The funding round was led by Progression . Fund , with participation from several angel investor who are senior executive at major companies , including Amazon , Google , Microsoft , Intuit , and X / Twitter .
