We're a small team building something we believe the nonprofit sector has needed for a long time. Here's why.
Our Mission
Women and children organizations receive only 2.04% of U.S. charitable giving — less than three cents of every donated dollar. That number hasn't moved much in years. We built Donate because we believe technology can change it.
Full transparency means donors see where their money goes — not a general description of programs, but a direct connection to the organization they chose, with real updates from that organization. No black boxes. No wondering.
We're not building a better donation button. We're building a community where giving creates real human connection — between donors who care and organizations doing the work.
Source: Women's Philanthropy Institute, 2023
What Makes Us Different
Donate works exclusively with organizations supporting women and children. No exceptions. When a cause doesn’t fit, we don’t list it. That’s a choice we made because focus creates impact — and because the women and children funding gap is too important to dilute.
Every partner organization on Donate is a verified 501(c)(3) nonprofit — reviewed, confirmed, and accountable before they ever appear on the platform.
Most nonprofit technology is built by tech people who don’t know the sector. We started from the other direction — understanding what organizations and donors actually need, then building tools to meet them there.
Our Values
We’d rather publish one specific, verified number than a general claim about impact. If we don’t know it, we don’t say it. “2.04%” is more honest than “a fraction.”
Choosing to serve women and children exclusively isn’t a business decision. It’s a commitment. The funding gap is specific. Our response should be too.
We’re tech people. But we’ve spent enough time in both worlds to know that technology only matters when it makes human relationships more possible, not less. The technology is the means. The connection is the point.
We’re a young organization. We don’t have decades of impact reports. What we have is a clear structure, real partners, and a commitment to transparency that starts with being honest about what we haven’t done yet.
We're a small, focused team. Women who have built companies, managed scale, and now turned those same skills toward a problem that's been waiting too long for serious attention. Donate was founded by Svetlana Leonova and Alisa Lynn, with Katerina Akhanova as CFO and a four-person board that includes the founders alongside Kseniia Chabanenko and Olga Makushenko.
Technology entrepreneur and venture builder with 20+ years of experience across mobile gaming, AI, and enterprise technology. Founder of Game Insight ($140M revenue), GOSU.AI, and managing partner at SKL.vc. Forbes Europe Top 50 Women in Technology (2018).
Former International Business Development Director at Game Insight. Leads Donate’s operations, partner relationships, and organizational strategy.
20+ years in communications leadership, including VP of Communications at Mail.ru Group (now VK). Founded A-TAK, a communications consultancy, and has served as advisor to technology companies including TraceAir, TokenStars, and Welltory.
Donate ALS Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation incorporated in California. We have applied for federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status; our Employer Identification Number is 41-4482858. Our registered address is 20355 Skyline Blvd, Woodside, CA 94062.
Get in touch
