PIFster is a crowdsourcing platform that allows users to support local, vetted nonprofits through community micro-donations and voting. Pulse 2.0 interviewed PIFster co-founder and President Shashana Kaplan to learn more.
Shashana Kaplan’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Kaplan said:
“My background is actually quite far from the tech world! For over 30 years, I worked in the trenches of Hollywood as a Department Head of Makeup for major television productions (like Dancing With The Stars and various scripted dramas). My husband and co-founder, Chris Conlee, is a veteran editor. We met on a movie set, fell in love, and eventually settled in East Los Angeles.”
“While I loved making people look good on camera, my heart was always pulled toward the community around me. Living in East LA, we saw so many stray animals and struggling neighbors. I started rescuing dogs off the street, but I realized that one person can only do so much. I wanted to create a way for regular people—who might not have deep pockets—to feel like philanthropists.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Kaplan shared:
“It started with a simple walk around my neighborhood during COVID. We were seeing so much need, and I said to my husband, ‘If I had just one dollar from everybody who actually cared, we wouldn’t have these problems.'”
“We started doing the math. There are ten million people in Los Angeles alone. If just a tenth of them gave a single dollar a month, that would be a million dollars a month. We got so excited by that possibility—how many families could you feed with a million dollars a month? How many animals could you care for? How many seniors could we help?”
“We realized we didn’t need big donors; we just needed a lot of ‘us.’ That became PIFster: A community of micro-donors giving $1/month, pooling it together, and voting to grant it to those who need it most.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Kaplan reflected:
“It has to be the story of “Mighty Max.” He was a young boy who needed open-heart surgery, and his family was struggling with the overwhelming medical costs. Our community rallied in a way that still brings tears to my eyes. It wasn’t just the money—though the grant helped—it was the comments, the prayers, and the emotional support from total strangers telling this family, “We see you, and we’ve got your back.” That is the heartbeat of PIFster.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Kaplan explained:
“Our core product is the PIFster platform itself (pifster.org). It features a ‘Unified Donation’ system where a simple monthly subscription grants you voting rights.
The key features are:
- The Voting Booth: Verified donors vote on which pre-vetted charity receives the monthly grant.
- The Leaderboard: Gamification that tracks who has referred the most new members (because more members = bigger grants).
- Transparency: We built a dashboard where you can see exactly where the funds go.
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Kaplan acknowledged:
“‘Challenge’ is putting it lightly! We faced a ‘Perfect Storm.’ Just as the Hollywood strikes shut down our primary income, our lead developer tragically passed away. We were locked out of our own code with no budget to hire a new team.”
“It was a make-or-break moment. My husband, Chris, locked himself in a room for six months, working 14 hours a day. He taught himself AI coding from scratch. He used AI agents to help him rebuild the entire platform, migrating us from a buggy legacy app to a robust web-based system. It was grueling, but it proved that with enough heart (and a little AI), you can overcome anything.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Kaplan noted:
“We shifted from a restrictive mobile app environment to a founder-controlled web platform. Under the hood, we are running on a customized WordPress stack, specifically using FluentCart for order handling with a custom headless checkout. We even built in a “Pay What You Want” feature with the option for donors to cover transaction fees.”
“We use an ‘HAI’ approach (Human + AI). AI handles the heavy lifting of data organization and coding, which frees us humans up to do what we do best: connect with our community.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Kaplan cited:
- “The Rebuild: Successfully launching the new pifster.org platform after the developer crisis.
- Recognition: We’ve been doubly honored by the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce at the “Sibbies” (Success in Business Awards). I received the “Entrepreneur Award,” and PIFster itself won the “Small Business, Big Impact” award—which perfectly captures our mission.
- Impact: Every time we cut a check to a charity that says, “I didn’t think anyone knew we existed,” that’s a major milestone for us.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Kaplan highlighted:
“I have two that really show our range.”
“One involves a ‘Pig Uber.’ There was a severely neglected pot-bellied pig in East LA that needed to get to a sanctuary. Our grant funded his transport all the way to Lompoc, CA, where he is now living his best life by the beach with other pigs.”
“On a more serious note, we supported C.A.T.S. (Center for Assault Treatment Services). When victims of sexual assault arrive for treatment, their clothes are often taken into evidence, leaving them with nothing to wear but a hospital gown. Our grant allowed the center to purchase comfortable sweatpants and sweatshirts so these survivors could leave with dignity and warmth.”
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? Kaplan revealed:
“We are proudly bootstrapped. We aren’t chasing venture capital; we are chasing impact. Our model is transparent: 90% of donations go directly to the causes and the community fund. We retain a small percentage to help keep the lights on, but Chris and I have poured our own life savings into this because we believe in the mission.”
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Kaplan assessed:
“We look at the Total Addressable Market through the lens of that initial math we did on our walk in Los Angeles. If just 10% of one city gave $1 a month, that’s $12 million a year for local charities. Now imagine scaling that globally.”
“Our goal isn’t just to capture a market share; it’s to wake up the sleeping giant of the “everyday philanthropist.” We want to be a global powerhouse where millions of people realize that together, their pocket change is more powerful than a billionaire’s check.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Kaplan affirmed:
“Three things: Vetting, Voting, and Video.“
“First, Vetting. With all the news about corruption in major organizations, people are losing faith in where their money goes. We focus specifically on the small, local nonprofits across America—the groups with their “boots on the ground” who are actually doing the work. Our human “Digital Detectives” verify they are legitimate so donors know their money isn’t going to a CEO’s salary, but to a cause that needs it.”
“Secondly, the Voting. It’s not a black box where you donate and hope for the best. You have an active say in where the money goes every single month.”
“And finally, Video. We close the loop. Most platforms take your money and you never hear back. We share videos of your donation actually making an impact. When the “Pig Uber” mission happened, our donors watched the video of that pig arriving at the sanctuary. Seeing your dollar at work changes everything.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Kaplan emphasized:
“The math is simple: We want to grow our community to 100,000 active voting members. That would mean we could write a $100,000 grant to a small charity every single month. That kind of money transforms a local soup kitchen or an animal shelter. We want to be the “People’s Choice Award” for philanthropy. To help us get there, we recently launched our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. It allows businesses to sponsor $1/month memberships for their teams, giving their workforce a direct voice in our voting booth while deeply connecting the company to the local community.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Kaplan concluded:
“I’d just love to invite your readers to join us. The entry point is just $1/mo—literally less than a cup of coffee—but there is no limit to generosity. We have members who give $1 and members who give much more. The beautiful thing is that in the voting booth, every voice is equal. You can become a PIFster at pifster.org.”
