Philanthropy As A Competitive Sport?

A new philanthropy group from Indianapolis is pioneering the future of competitive giving using the power of the bracket. 

It may not be the Big Dance that most people in Indianapolis are talking about this weekend but Indianapolis-based Brackets for Good is making its own moves in the philanthropy arena.

The charitable organization, which recently marked a milestone by raising over $1 million in its four-year history, will crown a champion this weekend.

Matt McIntyre, the co-founder and executive director of Brackets for Good, says the tournament is all about making it fun to raise funds.

"It’s a game. We feel like we’re the sport for non-profits," McIntyre said.

And here’s how it's played. It’s free to register, free to play. Eligible local nonprofits sign up on the Brackets for Good website and submit a review of their “regular season”.

"What’s your budget look like this year, how many full-time, part-time employees do you have, what’s your marketing prowess, all that builds into this big algorithm and then there’s some subjectivity, just like the men’s college basketball tournament, and we weigh in to decide who’s playing and who’s playing who," McIntyre said.

They choose 64 groups and place them on the bracket in divisions determined by budget size, so underdogs aren’t going up against powerhouses right away. Then the game is on. Every dollar raised equals one point and at the end of a week-long round the group with the most points advances.

Two nonprofits, The Humane Society of Hamilton County and the Joseph Maley Foundation are going up against each other in the final round, fighting for a $10,000 grand prize, provided by a corporate sponsor.

Last year’s winner was Partners in Housing. The group scored over $70,000 in the tourney but Jennifer Coffey, director of advancement with Partners in Housing says there’s an even greater win.

"The awareness that we’ve been able to generate about our organization’s amazing. We’ve probably had more individuals learn about us through brackets for good than any other promotion we’ve done, she said.

McIntyre comes from a tech marketing background and says Brackets is built to be an awareness vehicle first and foremost, providing the nonprofits with tools to help them get their brand out online.

"Behind the scenes all these nonprofits are given this digital marketing playground of everything from digital assets to creative design, display advertising. We kind of feel like we’re more than anything teaching them how to market themselves online," he said.

That includes tips on how to use the bracket on social media -- a major venue for the future of philanthropy. Recent reports like Case Foundation’s Millennial Impact Report finds the generation relies heavily on technology to connect with nonprofits.

Amir Pasic, dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI, says it also allows nonprofits to network with their new players.

"Capturing the people who they engage and building long term relationships is vital. This is how they’re going to build capacity for the long run if they convert this hyped up fun, energy and bring in new advocates," Pasic said.

The clock runs out on the final round at 8 p.m. Friday night. Next year, Brackets for Good is planning to expand play in at least three other cities including Cincinnati, Raleigh/Durham and Ann Arbor.