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HandUp Gift Cards

Give directly to a homeless neighbor on the street

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#5 Product of the DayAugust 27, 2015

HandUp lets you donate essentials like toiletries, clothes, and housing directly to homeless individuals in your neighborhood.

Around the web
HandUp, the startup that helps homeless people, has been acquiredIn slightly bittersweet news, startup HandUp is selling itself to the Detroit-based South Oakland Shelter for an undisclosed amount. This isn't your typical Silicon Valley exit where the founders and investors made a bunch of money. HandUp CEO Rose Broome described it to me as a "primary philanthropic acquisition."
TechCrunch
HandUp's new gift cards let you help the homeless without having to give them cashHandUp has unveiled a new product designed to make it easier for anyone to give directly to their homeless neighbors. The company has teamed up with Project Homeless Connect in San Francisco to launch its HandUp Gift Cards. These gift cards can be given to anyone in need, thereby enabling them to co...
VentureBeatKen Yeung

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Discussion

Hunter
Meghan Murphy
Makers
Rose Broome
Zac Witte
Meghan Murphy
Sammie Rayner
Katrina Belda
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Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
We are really excited to share this new product that bridges our online and offline giving. Two years ago HandUp launched as a way to donate to people in need through our site. What we heard from you, our donors, is that you also wanted a way to give directly on the street. When you give a neighbor in need a HandUp Gift Card, you’re giving something more valuable than cash. The recipient redeems the card with local nonprofit partner Project Homeless Connect for goods and services, where they can learn about other available resources like housing or healthcare. We're here to answer any questions you might have!
Upvote (22)·
Frank Denbow@frank_denbow · Founder of INK'A
@megmurph This is awesome. Great work! Is there an opportunity to buy in bulk (more than 6)?
Upvote (1)·
Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
@frankdenbow yes absolutely! We've already been working with some great local companies who are using these for employee engagement. Anyone can email me (murphy@handup.org) or info@handup.org.
Upvote (1)·
Peter Watts@ptrwtts · Me, Swarm.fm
@megmurph Love this. I'm curious what % of cards are typically claimed? It would be nice if you got replacement cards if they were unclaimed, so you could give to someone else. This way, 100% of your donation goes to people you personally interacted with (which is the main appeal of HandUp vs other charities for me).
Upvote (4)·
jason@jason · ceo, writer, event host & angel
so proud to have been the first investor in HandUP.....
Upvote (7)·
Phillip Yang@geekyyang
I just saw your product featured on VentureBeat. Amazing stuff! Will you do a Product Hunt Live AMA? Would love to hear your back story.
Upvote (5)·
Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
@geeky_yang Thanks Phillip! We'd love to do an AMA sometime - the founding story of HandUp with @Rosical and @ZacWitte is definitely interesting.
Upvote (6)·
Phillip Yang@geekyyang
@megmurph awesome! please let me know when it happens, I will definitely join.
Upvote (3)·
Tyler Hayes@thetylerhayes · Bebo
I like this a lot. I built a charity aggregator when I was younger for fun—I read a lot of research that said donating cash directly to people on the street, in crisis areas, or living poverty was not advised. There were many reasons for this. It was recommended you instead donate to an organization with strong oversight and a track record. I like that HandUp Gift Cards bridge that gap: HandUp makes sure the person gets assistance they need, the funds are spent wisely, and I can again feel like I'm helping.
Upvote (5)·
Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
@thetylerhayes Thank you Tyler! If you still have any of that research it would be cool to read it. It's good to hear you feel that way - that was our goal. If you have other thoughts or feedback please don't hesitate to share it.
Upvote (4)·
Tyler Hayes@thetylerhayes · Bebo
@megmurph The majority of the best stuff came from http://www.givewell.org/
Upvote (3)·
Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
@thetylerhayes thank you!
Upvote (1)·
SyCo4Sports@saccoallen · me
@thetylerhayes I did a ton of research on the abuses of both ends of giving also. Non profits that do little to giving cash to people that don't use it well. I never give cash I will take someone to eat though. I was going to start something a lot like this to take charity back to the neighborhood, the people, but I have been learning to build it for 2 years now lol I'm a slow learner. Glad someone is trying
Upvote (1)·
Wilton@weenjeem · Growth ☝️Marketing
It's great the givers get notified if the card was used. Fights that feeling of wondering if you're making any impact at all.
Upvote (4)·
Meghan MurphyMaker@meghan_murphy1 · Particle Marketing
@weenjeem thanks Wilton, we'll also send a notification if the recipient sets up a HandUp profile. That way you can continue to contribute and follow along with their progress.
Upvote (5)·