#206 For purpose start up journey, Ben Horwitz Vice President Charity Navigator

Welcoming Ben Horwitz to Purposely where he shares his 'for purpose' founder story as well as his life journey. Ben and his co-founder Reed Rosenbluth started Causeway in 2022, an online platform aimed at revolutionising charitable giving. Causeway allowed users to create personalised giving portfolios, like exchange-traded funds in the investment world. This approach made it easier for individuals to support multiple causes with minimal effort, even with small monthly contributions. The platform enabled impactful micro-donations, facilitated the flow of funds from donor-advised funds, and simplified the decision-making process for donors.

 

Ben and Reed bootstrapped Causeway, intentionally avoiding venture capital to maintain their focus on social impact rather than rapid growth. Their commitment to solving real problems for a dedicated user base paid off when Charity Navigator, America's largest nonprofit rating platform, acquired Causeway in 2023. The acquisition transferred Causeway's intellectual property and other assets, including its brand, to Charity Navigator. This merger was made possible through generous support from the O'Shea Family Foundation and an anonymous donor.

 

Now serving as VP of Business Development & New Ventures at Charity Navigator, Horwitz continues to pursue his mission of making impactful giving easier for all. Charity Navigator evaluates over 220,000 nonprofits across four key areas: impact and results, leadership and adaptability, culture and community, and accountability and finance. The platform provides free access to this information, helping donors make informed decisions about their charitable contributions.

 

In his role, Horwitz is focused on exploring new revenue opportunities, fundraising, and product development. His immediate priorities include growing Charity Navigator's API, exploring corporate giving initiatives, and expanding list-based giving options. Horwitz's philosophy that "You don't need a million dollars to make a difference; $5 can also make a difference" drives both his work and the mission of Charity Navigator.

Ben has had a mesmeric journey from startup founder to a key player in America's largest charity evaluator. Ben and his co founder Reed have gone a long way to show the potential for tech-driven solutions to address social challenges and improve philanthropy.

ABOUT CHARITY NAVIGATOR

Founded in 2002, Charity Navigator is a 501(c)(3) organization that guides intelligent giving with the nation's largest, most comprehensive charity evaluation tool. The organization helps donors easily identify U.S.-registered charities making a difference on the issues they care about most while helping charities better understand their donors, deliver on impact, and increase awareness and funding. Learn more at charitynavigator.org.