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Forget chicken soup — in today’s day and age, it’s tech that’s good for the soul.
At least, that’s the impression you get after talking to companies like Westmont-based Gesture.
The company, which provides mobile technology to help charities and organizations raise more money at silent auctions, aims to make the donation process as seamless as possible.
“We make your donors’ lives easier,” says Jim Alvarez, founder and CEO of Gesture. “We streamline the process.”
Instead of waiting by bidding sheets at galas and auctions, Gesture allows bidders to have mobile access to items so that they can spend their evening socializing. Users can quickly check and update the status of their bids, which Brandon Stec — a marketing manager with the company — said helps charities maximize their fundraising efforts.
Gesture’s platform provides a customizable template that organizations can use to transition their bidding process to an online experience. In addition, Gesture’s platform manages the final financial transactions, funneling money directly to the charity that’s sponsoring the event.
And those charities include some of the nation’s most reputable. From Ronald McDonald House and the American Heart Association to Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Stec said Gesture has already held close to 3000 events across the country, raising more than $170 million for their charity partners.
Gesture launched in 2011 and currently has a 50-strong team at its helm. The company, formerly known as AuctionsByCellular, said it remains committed to enhancing the giving experience.
“We are continually assessing our brand and offering to find out if we are best representing what we provide our charity partners,” said Alvarez. “Over the last year especially, as we’ve grown increasingly embedded into the donor experience, we realized there was a bigger opportunity to enhance and reflect the emotional benefits associated with the experience of giving.”
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