Proof of Usefulness Report

Zeffy

Analysis completed on 2/2/2026

+417
Proof of Usefulness Score
Certified Problem Solver

Zeffy is a highly impactful, verified platform processing over $1B in donations for 50,000+ nonprofits, far exceeding the submission's modest claim of 5,000. While the submission itself was low-effort ('most people have used my product'), the project's real-world utility (fee-free fundraising) and market traction are exceptional. The score is calibrated significantly higher than the HackerNoon baseline (333) to reflect Zeffy's larger economic scale ($15M+ est. revenue) and verified 'unicorn-status' traction, despite the heavy penalty applied to the Response Quality metric.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility0.25)
Audience Reach Impact0.20)
Technical Innovation0.15)
Evidence Of Traction0.25)
Market Timing Relevance0.10)
Functional Completeness0.05)
Subtotal+383
Usefulness Multiplierx1.09
Final Score+417

Project Details

Project URL
zeffy.com
Description
$2B dollars of donations are lost each year to processing fees instead of generating impact. Zeffy is revolutionizing the giving economy with simple, 100% free platform that already powers over 5,000 nonprofits.\n\nWe provide the first free fundraising suite where organizations can receive donations, sell tickets and recruit volunteers. This platform is funded by voluntary contribution that each person donating through Zeffy can add on top or their gift to the nonprofit.\n\nThese web tools are just the beginning. We want to become the first technological giant in the social impact economy.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline