Next Gen Giving: Ê-Interview with inLieu founder Kathy Terry

The phrase in lieu means “instead of” or “in place of.” Imagine an app that would allow users to make donations in lieu of purchasing material gifts. Imagine that it could make donating fast, easy, and social. Imagine the “Venmo of donating.” Entrepreneur Kathy Terry imagined exactly that, and then she went ahead and built it. With a live social feed so you can highlight your favorite charities and like or share with your friends, inLieu has the potential to change giving for the next generation. Want the inside scoop? Keep reading.

Ê: What exactly is inLieu and why is it especially great for kids our age?

KT: InLieu is the first app that bundles asocial network with a donating platform. The idea is that you donate to your friend’s favorite charity with impact lifestyle. It will be normalized and made more approachable, woven into our lives and mindsets, because your generation is so active and vocal about causes you care about. And things like inLieu will make it easy. InLieu is the future—allowing us to show our love, appreciation, gratitude, and thanks while simultaneously creating impact as a community. The world will be ready because YOU guys are ready.instead of just giving a gift. I think it’s great for kids your age because you are already so aware of the world around you and intentional about choosing sustainable brands that give back; this is just a streamlined way for you to be charitable and share the good you are doing with your network.

Ê: We love the social side of this—theability to celebrate friends’ communions, batmitzvahs, quinceañeras, sweet sixteens, and graduations by donating to their favorite causes! But . . . privacy. Is it safe?

KT: Yes. Our platform allows for social interaction, but you can also make your profile private, and you can give anonymously anytime you want. We take your privacy seriously and don’t share your information with anyone except the specific charity—and even then, only with your permission.

Ê: How can it be used to raise awareness—instead of dollars—for charities we love?

KT: InLieu is perfect for that! First, you can save and link your favorite charities to your inLieu profile, so that’s the first thing your friends see (and you can change your profile charities anytime). Also, in addition to holding personal events on inLieu (donating your birthday to a charity instead of receiving gifts), we are building a public events feature where you can invite others to learn about a particular cause and fundraise.We’ve collaborated with others to raise awareness for donating in honor of things like Ellen DeGeneres’s birthday, SoulCycle,NYFW with Vogue, and the reach was wide because everyone shared it on social. You can do this too! Also, on the money side, there’s no minimum for any donation and amounts are not disclosed. So you can give two dollars to a charity or in honor of an occasion, not disclose the amount, and still make an impact.

Ê: What’s the future of philanthropy for our generation?

KT: Because of your generation, philanthropy will become part of our everyday