CarePortal

CarePortal
📍 Nationwide
💰 Budget: ~$15M (2023 est.)
👤 Founder: Jason Weber (via The Global Orphan Project)
🔧 Tech platform that connects families in crisis with people who want to help

What it does
CarePortal is an app that lets people step in when a neighbor needs help. Social workers, schools, or nonprofits post real needs—like a bed for a child, a car seat, a grocery card, or help with rent. It is like DonorsChoose, but for human needs. The request appears on a secure online platform, where approved volunteers—usually from local churches or community groups—can view nearby needs and choose to respond directly, whether by donating items, covering costs, or delivering help in person. It’s one specific need, met by one specific volunteer, often within 24–48 hours.

Why it matters
People often spiral into crisis not because of violence or neglect, but because of stress, poverty, and isolation. Something as small as not having a crib can trigger a call to child welfare. CarePortal fills those gaps before they turn into emergencies. It keeps people stable, lightens the load on overwhelmed systems, and it gives volunteers a way to help their neighbors directly and meaningfully.

Big picture
CarePortal is one piece of a larger puzzle: how to support people before crisis hits. While others focus on long-term reform, CarePortal leverages caring neighbors to meets urgent local needs. So far, over 136,000 needs have been met across 7,000 communities, helping more than 500,000 people. It doesn’t replace public systems—it backs them up, adding an extra layer to the safety net, powered entirely by volunteers and community generosity.