Local Business Spotlight: tix4cause

Name: Carrie Gowans

Business Name: tix4cause

Title: Charity Engagement

Location: Naperville

Founded: 2010

How did the business come to be?

Like many good stories, tix4cause started with a man, his big idea and the ambition to change the world.

In 2008, Kevin Nemetz was sitting at a Chicago White Sox game in the middle of a mostly empty premium seating section. For years, he had thought that there had to be a better way for charities to raise money. Surrounded by the surplus of seating, he suddenly realized that if 35 of these ticket holders were to donate that game's unused tickets to charity, at least $14,000 would be raised.

Thus, with a few empty seats and a big idea to shake up the nonprofit world, tix4cause was born. At a time when charities were struggling to get donations and overall charitable donations were on the decline, tix4cause was a new way for causes to raise money with incremental donations. When tix4cause launched in 2010, the main goal was to leverage financial support from cause-based buyers everywhere to create a new alternative to traditional fundraising.

Soon after launching, tix4cause introduced a new way to supplement the ticket offering by creating relationships with businesses and venues looking to fill empty seats or sell tickets. tix4cause quickly discovered that the nonprofit world wasn't the only sector that needed help-businesses could benefit too!

JOIN THE MOVEMENT: At tix4cause, we're headed towards something big-we have expanded beyond non-profits and we want you to help us help all deserving causes, one ticket at a time. We've redesigned our website to streamline the ticket buying process and added plenty of features for our donors and business partners. We've also expanded our ticket offering even more by partnering with a top national ticket exchange to offer more events for our cause-based buyers. We want tix4cause to be the hub for all your entertainment needs, and the first place you go before you go out!

The evolution will continue beyond tickets and entertainment. A natural opportunity for future growth for tix4cause includes all types of businesses, including service businesses like restaurants, spas, hotels and golf courses.

Why did you choose the area you did?

I have run the Chicago Chapter of a national nonprofit called Flashes of Hope and serve on two other nonprofit boards. Many nonprofits struggle to raise funds and build awareness, partnering with tix4cause in 2012 helped bridge that gap for Flashes of Hope so I could concentrate more on the mission of changing the the way children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses see themselves through the gift of photography and raising money for pediatric cancer research. I believe so much in this company, I am now working for them in the role of charity engagement.

What does the business offer?

tix4cause features over 10 million tickets a day to sporting, music, theater & concert events all across the country. With each purchase, a portion of the proceeds goes to the cause the purchaser's choice. tix4cause helps its nonprofit partners members to not only raise additional funds but to increase visibility at the same time.

What’s a fact about your business that most customers probably don’t know?

That buying tickets for your favorite concert or sporting event has more power that you think! You can help beat cancer, feed a child, give scholarships to deserving students, or protect abused animals while doing the things you love. When tickets are purchased through tix4cause, up to 100% of the proceeds go to a deserving cause.

tix4cause is the hub for the cause-based buyer. Our inventory comes from generous individuals who donate their unused tickets as well as offerings from our business, affiliate and ticket exchange partners. Not only do we make giving back easy, our inventory is competitively priced. When you make a purchase, you won't be spending more to see your favorite band or enjoy the big game. tix4cause only adds on a minimal service fee to cover our costs, so you won't break the bank when you purchase a ticket, and causes will reap the benefits.

What’s your most popular product or service?

Right now? Baseball tickets nationally and then concert tickets!

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Learn more about tix4cause online.