Austin Comes Together to Donate $95,386 to Four Incredible Nonprofits at Philanthropitch
Notley hosted the 12th annual Philanthropitch event on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the ZACH Theatre. The evening was a powerful celebration of innovative nonprofit work, community collaboration, and collective impact. We convened community supporters, our nonprofit finalists, an esteemed panel of judges, and our generous sponsors. Philanthropitch is a night dedicated to supporting nonprofits that are pushing boundaries and creating real change in our community.
Nonprofits Taking the Stage
This year, four exceptional nonprofits pitched their transformative work, showcasing their vision for a brighter future:
Ladders for Leaders: Empowering underprivileged youth by launching their year-round job portal, providing much needed income for the students they serve.
Marathon Kids: Bringing enterprise usage of Marathon Kids Connect, an innovative platform that combines evidence-based practices for long-term behavior change with digital tracking of physical activity, to market.
YWCA Greater Austin: Launching a financial health clinic housed alongside YWCA’s current mental health clinic comprising two mutually reinforcing components: (1) a financial health support group and (2) a specialized training for financial professionals on engaging with clients in a therapy-informed way.
Kind Clinic: Adopting full insurance billing and revenue cycle management, resulting in a $1.4 million yearly savings across their Austin, San Antonio and Dallas clinics, enabling them to continue serving nearly 25,000 patients annually and advancing efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
Support From the Stage
Our panel of judges brought incredible expertise and heart to the event, evaluating each nonprofit based on sustainability, innovation, and community impact:
Keith Duncan, CEO of Favor Delivery
Leslie Stiba, CEO & Co-Founder of Austlen
Brendan Mullen, Founder & CEO of MKS2 Technologies
Tatiana Jitkoff, Co-Owner of Ninja Nation
Returning to the stage as emcee was Matt Ott, founder of Sonic Guild and Austin Music Foundation, and a Philanthropitch 2016 finalist. Matt’s friendly and celebratory energy made the evening feel even more special, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have him represent Philanthropitch once again.
Community Generosity Shines Bright
Philanthropitch brings together three different streams of funding, the judges allocations, our sponsors, and the audience! This year’s event raised a total of $95,386 in donations, with each nonprofit receiving much-needed funds to further their mission:
Ladders for Leaders: $42,731
YWCA Greater Austin: $21,486
Marathon Kids: $20,494
Kind Clinic: $10,675
Year after year it is clear that Austin is dedicated to funding the growth and success of local nonprofits. The spirit of giving filled the room, reinforcing the power of community-driven philanthropy.
Corporate Sponsors Make Big Contributions
A huge thank you to our presenting sponsor, Justworks, for your continued support of Philanthropitch and innovation in Austin. We are also incredibly grateful to the following sponsors for their generous contributions:
This 12th annual event marked another successful year for Philanthropitch Austin, the city where it all began. Lisa Graham, co-founder of Notley, opened the evening with inspiring words: "Philanthropitch is Notley’s signature nonprofit pitch competition program, and I’m proud to say it has been a pioneering educational program for innovative and scalable nonprofits in the Austin community for the past 12 years."
Notley has made Philanthropitch a cornerstone of its mission to blend nonprofit and for-profit principles to drive social impact, and Lisa’s remarks set the tone for a night full of innovation and community spirit.
Spotlight on Past Finalists
During the evening, we took a moment to celebrate the incredible growth of The Arc of the Capital Area, a finalist from Philanthropitch 2023. Executive Director Amber Nelson discussed how the funds and connections gained through Philanthropitch helped them expand to more locations, attract new volunteers and donors, and continue making a difference for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their mission is to foster greater independence for these individuals through thoughtfully designed programs.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on the impact of Philanthropitch 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the nonprofits that inspire us, the judges who lend their expertise, the sponsors who make it all possible, and the audience whose generosity knows no bounds. Thank you, Austin, for continuing to believe in the power of innovative ideas to change the world.
Together, we are building a stronger, more compassionate community. Click here to view all the photos from this event.
