Spark appoints chief giving officer Givealittle

The next stage in the growth of Givealittle is underway with the appointment of Tom Beyer as chief giving officer, the first step in a transition to move the management of Givealittle within Spark.

While Givealittle is owned by Spark Foundation, until now the management has been undertaken by an external team led by Givealittle’s founder Nathalie Whitaker.

The Foundation’s chair, Sir Bob Harvey, says when the Foundation acquired Givealittle three years ago it was always planned to move the operations in-house, but it was important to let the platform grow and develop to a point of maturity before the shift took place. 

“Givealittle is now at that point and we believe that transitioning the operations within Spark is the best move to ensure a strong and sustainable future for the platform,” says Sir Bob.

“Nathalie and her team have done an incredible job helping Spark ensure the success and growth of Givealittle and Tom will ensure Givealittle continues to be a powerful asset to all New Zealanders.”

Mr Beyer has had more than 14 years of experience in the e-commerce field, transforming more traditional businesses to online models and taking established online channels and working to future proof them to ensure growth.

He says he’s enjoyed working on cutting edge technology projects in his previous roles, including managing Spark’s stake in the Semble project, but the opportunity to head up Givealittle within Spark is a real privilege as it’s a role that also aligns with his personal values.

“Every day many New Zealanders are facing real need. The fact that I’ll be working on a platform that aims to facilitate those needs being met is the most exciting thing about taking on this role.

“This transition fits perfectly with Spark’s move to being a more digitally led organisation. It’s an awesome opportunity to develop Givealittle so that it continues to be a best practice crowdfunding platform, helping New Zealanders achieve their dreams and raise funds for those in need,” says Mr Beyer.

Since the Spark Foundation purchased Givealittle, the platform has grown from strength to strength, with monthly donations having risen from around $50,000 to $1.4 million. In the last financial year $19 million was donated through Givealittle – two and a half times the prior year’s $7.4 million.