From Uncertainty to Impact: How We Bootstrapped GivePanel to a $2M ARR SaaS That’s Raised Over £500M for Nonprofits
About GivePanel
GivePanel is a fast-growing SaaS company helping nonprofits supercharge their online fundraising through platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Founded by Nick Byrne, the business has scaled to over $2 million in annual recurring revenue, with a team of 30+ serving more than 400 charities worldwide. What sets GivePanel apart is their focus on community-led product development and their decision to bootstrap the company from day one, proving that high-impact tech can be built without external investment.
The Challenge
I didn’t set out to build a $2 million+ ARR tech company. After getting chewed up and spat out by the music industry, I found myself in the nonprofit sector—initially out of necessity, not purpose. I had no grand plan, no external funding, and, to be honest, no idea exactly how it would unfold.
Starting a SaaS business as a non-technical founder is rare. Doing it without raising a single penny of outside investment? Even rarer. Most people either have funding or can code. I had neither. Just a belief that there was a better way for charities to fundraise through social media—and the nagging drive to build something useful.
The Journey
GivePanel didn’t come from a lightning bolt moment—it came from years of building and experimenting. I’d built tools before (including a pre-Facebook social network for musicians that hit 250,000 users) but never quite cracked it. I’d learned from those near misses: validate your idea first, find product-market fit fast, and don’t build before you’ve sold it.
So, I started with a simple idea—help nonprofits raise money more effectively on platforms like Facebook. Before writing a single line of code, I built a community. I listened, I tested, and when we launched GivePanel, we already had clients queued up.
That early validation helped us bootstrap with confidence. I used some recurring revenue from a consulting business to fund development. I hired our first engineer. I avoided the time-suck of fundraising and kept control. No investors, no dilution—just momentum.
But growth wasn’t easy. We scaled from 4 to 30+ people in about a year. It was intense. As a first-time CEO, I was constantly outside my comfort zone—making it up as I went along. And while I’m passionate about product and building, I’m not a natural operations guy. I had to learn fast and surround myself with people who were better than me in key areas.
We hired a Head of People early—which most SaaS companies don’t. Best decision I ever made. It allowed us to look after our team properly and helped me keep my head above water during rapid growth and some tough personal moments, like my wife battling long COVID.
The real tipping point came when we realised GivePanel wasn’t just a tool—it was an impact engine. Our clients weren’t just running better Facebook fundraisers. They were building cancer wards, rehoming refugees, and providing life-changing services for people with autism.
When we totalled it up, we saw that charities using GivePanel had raised over £500 million. That’s real money, doing real good.
It hit me: we’re not just a tech company. We’re a lever for change in a massively underfunded sector.
The Results
📈 Bootstrapped from zero to over $2 million in annual recurring revenue
👥 Built a team of 30+ aligned, mission-driven people
🤝 Serve 400+ nonprofit clients globally
💸 Helped raise over £500 million for causes ranging from cancer research to autism support
✅ All achieved without external funding or giving up any equity
Working with MBS Accountants
As GivePanel scaled rapidly, the need for financial clarity and strategic insight became crucial. We began working with Ian and the MBS team to get a tighter grip on our numbers — not just compliance, but true financial leadership.
Here’s what they helped us do:
📊 Built a forecasting model so we could plan cash and headcount with confidence.
💥 Spotted weaknesses in our finance tech stack that were holding us back (especially around financial operations during scale).
🧠 Challenged our thinking on pricing, team structure, and profitability.
📈 Helped us understand our unit economics clearly — a game-changer for a bootstrapped SaaS.
They didn’t just do the books. They gave us clarity, confidence and control — all things we were starting to lose during rapid growth. It’s no exaggeration to say that working with MBS helped us plug leaks we didn’t know we had.
The Key Lessons
Validate before you build: Don’t fall in love with your idea—fall in love with solving a real problem. Get paying customers before you build the product.
Product-market fit is everything: It’s not a one-time event; it’s something you revisit constantly. If things feel hard, revisit your core offer.
Naivety is a strength: If I’d known how hard it would be, I might not have started. Sometimes not knowing is the gift.
Surround yourself with great people: You don’t need to be the smartest in the room—just smart enough to hire people better than you.
Stay grounded: My faith gave me resilience during dark times. Business is hard, and we all face storms. What you build your foundation on matters.
