Chris Heaslip, Eliot Crowther and Pushpay: Making Digital Giving Easier

The Auckland-founded software company set out to make giving simpler for churches and community organisations, building a platform around a familiar act in a digital age.

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A specific customer problem

Pushpay was founded in Auckland in 2011 by Chris Heaslip and Eliot Crowther. The founders saw an opportunity to make donations easier through mobile technology while reducing administration for churches and other mission-led organisations. Its early proposition combined a straightforward user experience with tools for organisations managing giving and engagement.

Software built around a community

Pushpay’s market is distinctive. Its customers are not simply buying a payment button; they need reliable systems that support giving, communication and relationships with congregations. That makes trust, service continuity, data handling and integrations central to the product. The company’s current materials describe a wider platform serving churches and parishes.

A founder story that needs a wider lens

Pushpay’s later ownership and leadership have changed since its start-up years. A current company profile should distinguish the founders’ original contribution from the people now running the business and the company’s present ownership. The founders’ story is best understood as one chapter in the longer evolution of a specialist SaaS business.

Sources and further reading

• Pushpay: About the company and its history
• Pushpay 2018 annual report: founder biographies
• Crunchbase: Pushpay

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