Innovation into Action

Leveraging data and technology to mobilize community and empower leaders.

The Contingent

We’re living through a data and technology revolution. While some fear this could erode our communities, The Contingent—a venture nonprofit—envisions a different future. We believe the biggest social challenges can be solved by using technology to bring people together. We partner with government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses to fuel community-based efforts by using data-driven tools to mobilize volunteers, foster parents, and local leaders—accelerating the time and scale of impact.

Our Work

Mobilizing Communities to Support Kids and Families

We partner with child welfare agencies nationwide to recruit and retain volunteers and foster families—ensuring every child has the care and stability they deserve.

Connecting Talent to Opportunity

We bridge the gap between underrepresented talent and companies committed to building leadership that reflects the communities they serve. Using data and technology, we create pathways to meaningful careers.

Innovating for Lasting Impact

We use human-centered design to innovate data-driven solutions that strengthen communities. By collaborating with government, nonprofits, and private sector leaders, we build scalable initiatives that drive real change.

What We Do

Founded in 2009, The Contingent is a national nonprofit that harnesses the power of innovation and technology to tackle complex social challenges and accelerate impact. We do this by:

1

Mobilizing Community

We bring together experts in marketing, customer engagement, technology, user-centered design, data analytics, and research to drive action at scale. Through our proprietary Air Game, we’ve revolutionized how communities engage—recruiting thousands of volunteers and foster parents across the country with our Every Child Initiative.

2

Empowering Leaders

From the start, we’ve been committed to elevating underrepresented talent. Through The Script, we leverage technology to connect college students and graduates with meaningful job opportunities—helping them build careers, close the wealth gap, and shape the future of leadership in their communities.

There's a growing need

Across the country, there’s a growing need for community members to support each other—perhaps in ways they’ve never imagined before. While people want to help, it can feel overwhelming, and they often don’t know where to start. Finding the right opportunities to use their skills isn’t always straightforward or accessible.

We make getting involved easy

As a result, communities struggle to mobilize at scale—but this is where The Contingent thrives. We create clear, simple pathways for people to get involved where the needs are the greatest. Our superpower is turning intention into action by connecting the right people with the right opportunities to make a difference—it’s never been easier to get involved!

Our Impact

12,000+

community members are exploring becoming a foster parent

7,000+

individuals and families are ready to start the foster care process

31,000+

volunteers actively supporting children, families, and child welfare workers

500+

interns have been placed with leveling-up job opportunities

At The Contingent, data and technology are tools—but people are the driving force. Our products are designed to fuel community-based work, not replace it. By partnering with hundreds of local organizations, we turn innovation into action, mobilizing communities to create lasting change.

Our Values

Listening

At The Contingent, we place a high value on listening. It’s the key to co-designing our products and programs in a way that truly serves and empowers communities with excellence.

Accountability

The Contingent holds itself accountable to improve outcomes by publishing our results real-time. Every week, we evaluate our data and make no excuses in asking the question, “How will we get better today?”

Action

We are a team trained for action. We don’t sit on good ideas—we bring them to life. From documenting concepts for clarity and seeking feedback to testing viability and making immediate adjustments, we’re always moving forward.

Innovation

At The Contingent, we don’t cling to outdated methods or fear failure. We embrace bold challenges, use technology for good, and rely on both qualitative and quantitative data to guide our work.

Radical Hospitality

Radical hospitality is at the heart of everything we do. It creates space for transformation, offering a place where compassionate truth-telling thrives, and needs are met—even at a personal cost. Our brand of hospitality disrupts the status quo, driving change in profound and meaningful ways.

“Nonprofit programs do not change lives.

Only relationships do that. YOU are the answer!”

– Ben Sand, CEO, The Contingent