How Dean Sweetman Built Tithely To $16M ARR
Tithely is a digital giving tool that enables churches of any size to offer secure donations from anywhere, at any time. Our back-end administrative tools make management super easy.
Who is Dean Sweetman?
Dean Sweetman is the CEO and co-founder of Tithely an online app that allows churches and non-profit organizations to raise money easily. Previously,he served as the President anmd CEO of the C3 Church where he led growth and expansion of the organization. Dean holds a Organizational Leadership degreee from C3 College in Sydney Australia.
What problem does Tithely solve?
Churches and NGOs need a convenient way to collect, manage, and distribute funds.
How did Dean come up with the idea for Tithely?
Dean conceptualized the Tithely App based on his deep understanding of the financial challenges churches face, particularly the limited opportunities for revenue generation during their once-a-week services.
Recognizing the need for a seamless and user-friendly online giving experience, he aimed to create a platform where donations could be made quickly and easily. Additionally, he sought to address issues related to missed giving opportunities due to weather events or holidays by enabling people to donate anytime, anywhere.
His insight into the importance of recurring donations for church budgets further shaped the app's development, solving key pain points he had experienced firsthand.
I had a bunch of problems that I knew could get solved with technology. That's what began the quest to provide technology to churches in and around the generosity area of giving and beyond. — Dean (Source)
How did Dean Sweetman build the initial version of Tithely?
Dean created the Tithely App by utilizing his family's skills and addressing a specific need. He enlisted his tech-savvy son, Barnabas, who had been successful in web development since his teenage years, to develop a mobile giving solution. Dean asked Barnabas to create an app that would enable church members to donate using their phones.
After 12 months of development, Barnabas successfully launched the app on the App Store. Dean then introduced the app to his congregation in 2013, which led to its adoption and resulted in thousands of dollars in donations being made through the app.
How did Dean launch Tithely and get initial traction?
Dean launched to the church he pastored in Atlanta. Tithe.ly now serves over 37,000 churches worldwide.
What was the growth strategy for Tithely and how did they scale?
Dean's key ways of acquiring customers for Tithely include:
- Organic Search: Attracting customers through unpaid search results.
- Paid SEO: Investing in search engine optimization and paying for search keywords.
- Referrals: Gaining customers through word-of-mouth recommendations, often from conferences and peer interactions.
- Acquisitions: Expanding the customer base by acquiring other companies.
- Partnerships: Collaborating with major denominations and offering free access to new church planners for the initial period.
These methods have created a self-sustaining customer acquisition funnel, consistently bringing in hundreds of new churches monthly.
What's the pricing strategy for Tithely?
Tithely charges a transaction Effective Rate of 0.92% for every transaction, and there is no monthly subscription plan.
What platform/tools does Tithely use?
Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Tithely
More about Tithely:
Who is the owner of Tithely?
Dean Sweetman is the founder of Tithely.
When did Dean Sweetman start Tithely?
2013
What is Dean Sweetman's net worth?
Dean Sweetman's business makes an average of $1.5M/month.
How much money has Dean Sweetman made from Tithely?
Dean Sweetman started the business in 2013, and currently makes an average of $18M/year.
