Do Good, Feel Good: How Ribon Is Redefining Hospital Fundraising
Rafael Rodeiro, CEO & Founder of Ribon, is leading a quiet revolution in hospital philanthropy. By flipping traditional fundraising on its head with a “reverse matching” model and a mobile-first platform, this StartUp Health community member is helping healthcare systems turn employee giving into a cultural engine of generosity, engagement, and institutional pride.
By Nicole Kinsey
The Challenge: Outdated Giving in a New Era of Healthcare
Hospitals across the U.S. rely on employee giving programs to fund critical initiatives — but most of these programs are relics of another era. They’re run on email blasts, paper forms, and underwhelming tech. Meanwhile, foundation teams are shrinking, and health systems are consolidating. In a time when innovation is transforming every corner of healthcare, internal philanthropy remains largely untouched.
Yet employee giving holds massive untapped potential. When done well, it builds morale, strengthens institutional loyalty, and inspires external donors by showcasing a unified internal culture. But without modern tools and strategies, these programs fail to engage staff in a meaningful way — often resulting in single-digit participation rates. What’s missing isn’t willingness; it’s infrastructure that meets employees where they are: on their phones, during busy shifts, and in need of a clear reason to care.
And the urgency is growing. With federal reimbursements shrinking, many hospital foundations are under pressure to close a bigger gap through philanthropy. Rafael Rodeiro saw that gap and seized the opportunity. Ribon was built to target the internal culture of giving — the very source of long-term philanthropic success — not just by increasing donations, but by turning everyday staff into active stewards of a hospital’s mission.
Origin Story: The Right Tools to Give Regularly
Rodeiro’s journey started in Brasília, Brazil, where he studied engineering and attempted grassroots fundraising with friends — and failed. That failure led him to rethink the very mechanics of generosity. Influenced by his Buddhist mother’s emphasis on altruism and the psychological “warm glow effect” of giving, Rafael set out to make generosity easy, joyful, and habitual.
Ribon first launched as a consumer app in Brazil, allowing people to experience the joy of micro-giving. It engaged millions and earned global recognition, including awards from the Gates Foundation. But the big “aha” came at a conference in Seattle, where Rafael realized U.S. hospitals were struggling with the very same challenges he had already solved in Brazil. That insight prompted Ribon’s pivot to healthcare — and its transformation into a B2B platform laser-focused on hospital employee giving.
To bring this vision to life, Rodeiro built a globally diverse team that blends deep fundraising experience with world-class tech execution. Ribon retained its original core team from Brazil—creators of the award-winning micro-giving platform—and complemented it with U.S.-based talent, including an industry veteran who brings decades of healthcare insight from his role on the board of Northwell Health. This rare combination of global innovation and local expertise has become one of Ribon’s strongest assets.
Under the Hood: A Culture-Building Platform, Not Just a Donation Tool
At the core of Ribon’s platform is a deceptively simple yet powerful idea: start by giving, not asking. Hospitals commit a pool of funds (e.g., $100K), which employees then allocate using “giving tickets” they receive daily via a gamified mobile app. This pre-donation engagement — dubbed the “reverse matching gift” model — builds belonging before any money leaves a paycheck.
Employees can choose to add their own funds, unlocking more tickets and even supporting friends and family to participate. Internal ambassadors receive real-time dashboards showing which colleagues have joined and who needs a nudge, creating a grassroots momentum.
It’s not just about dollars raised — it’s about who’s giving, why they’re giving, and how that shared culture spreads. Ribon has turned employee giving into a dynamic, measurable engine for engagement, philanthropy, and institutional pride.
What’s Next: Scaling Generosity in a Changing Healthcare Landscape
With custom demos already built for several hospital systems, Ribon’s next milestone is to close its first three paid pilot programs — and prove that its platform drives not just internal participation but external giving as well.
Looking ahead, Rodeiro’s Health Moonshot vision is ambitious: he wants to make 60–70% employee participation the norm, not the outlier. With that kind of alignment, major donors pay attention, staff become stewards of their institutions, and giving becomes more than a campaign — it becomes culture.
The long-term goal? 100 hospitals, $10M+ in ARR, and published data showing that a strong internal giving culture correlates with external fundraising success.
Final Thought: Part of a Global Effort to Reimagine Health
“If you believe giving feels good,” Rafael says, “then you’ll understand why this works.”
More than just a fundraising tool, Ribon is catalyzing a new kind of cultural transformation within healthcare — one where employees don’t just work for a hospital, but actively shape its mission. As a member of the StartUp Health Wellness Moonshot Community, Ribon is part of a global effort to reimagine health by fostering connection, purpose, and generosity from the inside out.
In a moment where healthcare is being redefined — by consolidation, burnout, and shifting financial models — Ribon is doubling down on what makes institutions thrive: people who feel invested in the impact they’re making. That’s more than good strategy. That’s a movement.
Connect with Ribon via email
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Published: Jun 26, 2025
