In 2017, Matt Bitzegaio founded DonorDock, a simple donor management system for non-profits. DonorDock is the culmination of Bitzegaio’s experience in the tech industry and his passion to help the non-profit industry. “Overtime, I realized that non-profits were often ignored… I wanted to build something different and affordable that would accelerate the small non-profit,” explained Bitzegaio.

From birth to 6th Grade, Bitzegaio’s entrepreneurial journey included 13 states and 2 countries beginning in California and ending in Fargo, North Dakota. Bitzegaio attended North Dakota State University earning a university studies degree followed by an MBA at the University of Mary. “I have always considered myself an entrepreneur…. when I was in high school I had several business ideas. While in college, I taught myself how to program and picked up jobs and clients to pay for school,” said Bitzegaio.

Prior to launching DonorDock, Bitzegaios spent over 15 years with three different companies, including the Summit Group. During his career, Bitzegaio worked in multiple different roles including software development and eventually the company President at Summit Group.  “During my career, I have worked with non-profits across the country as they managed their donor relationships. It was during this time I found my passion to help small non-profits that don’t have the big budget, expertise, or large teams,” explained Bitzegaio.

DonorDock Action Board

In early 2017, Bitzegaio stepped away from his position with Summit Group with encouragement from local Fargo leaders Than Baardson and Scott Holdman. “I heard from multiple sources that the CRMs on the market were designed for larger organizations… the idea to create a donor relationship tool for small non-profits came to life with the help of trusted friends,” said Bitzegaio. From the beginning, DonorDock has been focused on providing a user- friendly product that is effective for non-profits with a budget of 1 million dollars or less.

A part DonorDock’s success has been connected with Giving Hearts Day through the Impact Foundation in Fargo, North Dakota. In 2017, leading up to Giving Hearts Day in 2018, DonorDock was offered as a tool to regional non-profits participating in Giving Hearts Day. As a result, over 200 organizations took advantage of the dashboard and offered feedback to the DonorDock team. “I was approached by Scott Holdman about their need for a data solution for the annual giving event. We created a dashboard and rolled it out for Giving Hearts Day 2018, and the feedback we received help catalyze our product and the local non-profits fundraising effectiveness,” explained Bitzegaio.

DonorDock Dashboard

In 2018, the DonorDock program will be offered on a subscription basis to non-profits. Many of the first customers were those that provided feedback during Giving Hearts Day. Looking to the future, Bitzegaio sees a market that is quite large. “There is somewhere around 1.3 million small non-profits in the United States… Our goal is to build strong roots in the region around North Dakota to raise brand awareness and multiply outwards from here,” said Bitzegaio.

Learn more from Matt Bitzegaio and DonorDock as he speaks at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, May 9th, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. at The Stage in Island Park.

Brent McNeal