# About GivJoy and Datawake

- Canonical page: https://givjoy.io/about
- This file: https://givjoy.io/about.md
- Public status: GivJoy is in development. Feature status labels are shown beside each feature.

GivJoy is a donation platform for US nonprofits, in development, expected January 2027.

Free 0%, Starter 1%, Pro 2% of online gifts, plus Stripe processing, no monthly fee.

Gifts go straight to the nonprofit's own Stripe account.

GivJoy is a planned donation platform for US nonprofits of every size, especially small and medium teams, with Bryn as its AI assistant. Here is who's building it, and what it will never do.

## Who's behind it

![Dustin Cole laughing with family in a studio portrait](/media/dustin-cole-family.webp)

Dustin Cole and family

I’m Dustin Cole. I started in nonprofits as a program manager, then moved to the finance side as a finance manager. That’s where I learned what a donation really costs once it reaches the books: the processing fee, the platform fee, the refund three weeks later, the gift that lands in the wrong fund because an export put everything in one column.

From there I went into Salesforce consulting, almost all of it for nonprofits, through my company, Datawake. I’ve worked with well over 100 organizations, and nearly every one had an online donation tool. Over the years I’ve connected, cleaned up after or replaced most of the popular ones. Some were affordable, some were overpriced, and some sent data I spent days untangling, like the monthly donor who turned into twelve contacts named Margaret. Each of those messes landed on a staff member who was already doing three jobs.

GivJoy is my answer: built to do what nonprofits pay far more for elsewhere, with fees anyone can check.

**We’re a small team, and I plan to keep it that way,** one or two more people at most, because low costs are what let the fees go down. I write every feature as a plain-English spec first, and nothing ships without my yes.

Dustin ColeFounder

GivJoy, formerly GiveLink, is a product of Datawake Partners LLC in Fullerton, California.

## Why it exists

At a small nonprofit, the people who raise the money also do the paperwork. Receipts, exports and reminders pile up, and the calls that keep supporters close get pushed to next week.

GivJoy is meant to take on the routine part: record the gift, send the receipt, keep each supporter's history in one place and draft the follow-up, so your time goes to the people. And it should do that with fees anyone can check, because a donor deserves to know where their money goes.

## Built in the open

-   **Plain status labels:** each page says once what is in development, and labels anything at a different stage.

## What if GivJoy doesn't last?

-   **Your Stripe account is yours.** Gifts never pass through us.
-   **Download all your data any time,** on every plan.
-   **Change plans or leave any time.**
-   At least 90 days' notice, and your full download stays available the whole time.

## What GivJoy will never do

-   **Use supporters’ information for advertising.** Each nonprofit’s records stay separate.
-   **Hide a fee.** Every fee is on the pricing page in plain numbers and on the checkout line by line.
-   **Email your supporters from a Bryn job you haven't turned on.**
-   **Hold supporters’ money.** Gifts go into your nonprofit's own Stripe account.
-   **Charge you to take your data with you.** Download everything, on every plan, any time.
-   **Let Bryn pester your supporters.** She asks anyone for money at most once every 90 days.
-   **Claim results we didn't produce.** No made-up hours saved, no "raised 30% more."

## Why GiveLink became GivJoy

Giving should feel like joy, for the donor and for the team that says thank you. GivJoy says that out loud.

GivJoy was called GiveLink. It is a fresh design, not an update.

## The GivJoy launch list

The launch list isn't open yet. Please check back soon.

You can email [support@givjoy.io](mailto:support@givjoy.io) with questions.

What the labels mean

Exploring

We are looking into the problem. It may never be built.

In development

We are working on it. Not usable yet.

Early access

A few invited nonprofits can use it, in test mode where that applies.

Live

Available to the stated audience.

Not pursuing

Dropped or paused, with a short reason and a date.