Omaze

Omaze operates as a for-profit entertainment company that facilitates charitable fundraising through prize-based sweepstakes. The platform provides individuals with the opportunity to win luxury experiences and, more recently, high-value properties, while simultaneously generating significant financial contributions for various non-profit organizations. This model integrates a digital entry system where participants purchase chances to win, with a guaranteed portion of these sales directed to partner charities.

The company was founded in September 2012 by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson, who first connected during their time at Stanford University. Their initial insight was rooted in leveraging celebrity access and unique experiences to engage a broad audience in philanthropic endeavors, thereby democratizing giving. This approach evolved to include substantial material prizes, particularly focusing on luxury home draws in key markets.

Omaze's platform caters to a global audience eager to participate in high-stakes prize draws that also serve a social purpose. By blending aspirational winnings with charitable giving, the company aims to empower non-profits by providing a novel and engaging fundraising mechanism. Its long-term vision centers on scaling this impact, continually connecting a global community with life-changing opportunities while channeling substantial funds to support diverse charitable missions.

High-Level Overview

Omaze is a for-profit entertainment and fundraising company, not a traditional technology company, that runs prize draws where participants buy entries for chances to win experiences or houses, with a portion of proceeds donated to charities.[1][2][3] It partners with nonprofits to raise funds efficiently—up to 40x more than traditional auctions—by offering high-value prizes like luxury homes or celebrity meetups, serving donors seeking excitement alongside impact while empowering charities with marketing, tech, and fulfillment support.[3][4] As of July 2025, Omaze has raised over $250 million globally, with a goal of $1 billion in a single year, though it paused U.S. operations in 2023 to focus on UK house draws and expanded to Germany.[1][4]

Growth has shifted from U.S.-based experience draws to scalable house raffles, doubling business pre-2020 pivot amid funding challenges, with strong UK traction via partnerships like Teenage Cancer Trust and British Heart Foundation.[1][2][7]

Origin Story

Omaze was founded in 2012 in Culver City (later Marina del Rey), California, by Matthew Pohlson and Ryan Cummins, who met at Stanford University in the late 1990s.[1][3] The idea sparked in 2011 at a Boys & Girls Clubs of America charity event in Los Angeles, inspiring a public-access model for high-impact fundraising beyond elite galas.[1][6] They launched with celebrity-experience sweepstakes, quickly raising millions for over 400 charities worldwide.[3][4]

Pivotal shifts included co-founder Cummins stepping away in 2018, with Pohlson as CEO; a 2020 UK launch with the Million Pound House Draw amid U.S. scalability issues; full transition to house draws by 2023; U.S. pause and layoffs of 103 employees in late 2022; and HQ relocation to London.[1][7] Early UK draws proved the model, raising £250,000+ per campaign and attracting inbound charity partnerships.[2]

Core Differentiators

• Prize-driven model: Combines sweepstakes excitement (e.g., houses, cars, space trips) with guaranteed charity payouts, outperforming auctions/galas by 40x in efficiency and returns—e.g., one $40K auction became $1M via Omaze.[1][3][4]
• Full-service platform: Provides charities with marketing, content creation, tech infrastructure, and prize fulfillment they can't afford independently, minimizing risk while maximizing reach and brand exposure.[2][4]
• Scalable evolution: Shifted from 300 annual U.S. experiences to 50 high-impact house draws, enabling business doubling and global expansion (UK, Germany) despite U.S. pause.[1][7]
• Impact focus: For-profit but mission-led, raising $250M+ by July 2025 with transparent fund allocation prioritizing outcomes over fixed percentages; partners vetted for scale, starting with known names before smaller causes via aggregators.[1][2][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Omaze rides the trend of gamified philanthropy and digital fundraising, transforming charity from obligation to entertainment via online platforms that leverage e-commerce, data-driven marketing, and viral social mechanics.[3][9] Timing aligned with post-2020 digital giving surges and remote engagement needs, proving raffles' scalability amid declining traditional events.[2][7]

Market forces like consumer demand for "win-win" giving—impact plus prizes—favor it, especially in regulated UK/Germany markets post-U.S. pivot, while influencing ecosystems by democratizing access: small donors fund big causes, charities gain tech edges without overhead.[1][2][4] It sets a blueprint for hybrid for-profit/nonprofit tech models, boosting awareness for partners like heart foundations and cancer trusts amid broader edtech/fintech philanthropy shifts.[2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Omaze's house-draw dominance positions it for accelerated growth in Europe, potentially hitting $1B annual fundraising via more markets, refined tech for personalization, and aggregator partnerships for smaller charities.[1][2][4][7] Trends like AI-optimized draws, Web3 incentives, and global remote giving will amplify scalability, though regulatory hurdles in new regions loom.

Its influence may evolve from U.S. pioneer to international standard-setter, redefining tech-enabled charity as accessible thrills—not just transactions—building on $250M raised to empower a new donor generation.[1][3]