Local firm rolls out software designed to help charities win donations

Indianapolis-based Super Service Challenge, a national not-for-profit entering its seventh year, is rolling out a new e-platform its organizers say is designed to connect companies, volunteers and charitable organizations in a whole new way.

Super Service worked with the Sells Group, an Indianapolis-based digital marketing and media services firm, to create the system that's meant to make it easier for not-for-profits and volunteers to participate in what is a sort of competition that funnels money to organizations. The new system also puts not-for-profits in a better position to collect in-kind as well as monetary contributions.

Super Service Challenge, which has Purdue University graduate and NFL quarterback Drew Brees as its national spokesman, promotes community service by encouraging people to donate their time to a not-for-profit organization, share stories of that service, and win funding for not-for-profit organizations based on the stories.

The new platform, launched this week, allows companies to upload videos of service projects for not-for-profits, create pages for different departments to gauge the progress of service projects and provide links for volunteers to help them find local projects of interest, said Sells Group founder and CEO Patrick Sells. 

Super Service says it has helped raise more than $30 million for not-for-profit organizations since its founding.

Companies that have partnered with or participated in the Super Service Challenge include Eli Lilly & Co.., Citizens Energy Group, Dow AgroSciences, Colliers International, Holiday Inn and Mellow Mushroom Pizza. 

IBJ talked with Sells about his company’s involvement in the project.

How does this new platform improve the life of not-for-profits and the companies that want to be involved with them?

Sells: For non-profits and companies, the new Super Service Challenge e-platform makes serving and giving easier and more impactful by being easier to share, easier to raise awareness and easier to raise funds. The new platform allows companies and groups to go serve and capture a short video of their service and use that to raise awareness and funds for the non-profit. In this new way, we now act as a crowd-funding and social-media platform. But we have financial awards and celebrity promotions from which non-profits can benefit, as well. This adds a whole level of competition and excitement to serving and giving. The nature and content of the videos and stories captured allow both non-profits and companies alike to easily and quickly share their amazing work.

How is the platform different from what was previously used?

Sells: The platform evolved to include brand new mobile apps for both the iPhone and Android as well as a total rebuild of the underlying platform. This new platform makes the challenge more competitive and fun, allows non-profits to raise funds directly and not just awareness, and gives our stakeholders, companies, non-profits and volunteers a much more customized and personalized experience.

Why is this a project Sells Group wanted to be involved in?

Sells: Sells Group’s mission is to unlock the potential of the world around us. We do this mainly through helping companies acquire more customers. The [Super Service Challenge] lets us increase the number of companies being transformed through serving, increase the number of non-profits raising money and awareness while better helping the world around us. We see the SSC as a core to our DNA.

Is this something Sells Group profits from or does pro bono?

Sells: Sells Group is a financial supporter of the SSC and they are a client of ours as well.