Founded by people
who lived the problem.
Elliss was born from a simple observation: the people who want to help and the people who need it live in the same neighborhoods — and no one had ever built a bridge between them.
What we're here to do.
Elliss exists to permanently improve how underserved community members access resources and how volunteers find meaningful engagement — through a trusted, self-sustaining civic platform.
We are a Wisconsin nonprofit in formation. Our 501(c)(3) application is in preparation. Our fiscal sponsorship is established for interim giving. The platform is live at elliss.app.
Meet the co-founders.
Samantha Schaum
Executive Director & Co-Founder
- Elementary school art teacher — authentic community trust
- Organizational face of Elliss: donor relations, partnerships, brand identity
- Women-led nonprofit: opens dedicated grant categories and DEI partnerships
- Founding story rooted in lived experience of community disconnection
Paul Schaum
Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder
- 10+ years professional marketing management experience
- Built the Elliss MVP from zero to live deployed app in weeks
- Technology, product strategy, content marketing, and grant writing
- In-house content engine: social, editorial, and at near-zero cost
Why non-profit changes everything.
Grant-Eligible
Foundation and government grants fund mission-aligned nonprofits. They do not fund VC-backed startups. Elliss can pursue grants that POINT, Golden, and every for-profit competitor cannot touch.
Community Trust
Partner organizations and help-seekers trust a 501(c)(3) differently. A food bank will share its volunteer database with a mission-aligned nonprofit — not a startup with undisclosed monetization.
Lower Costs
Google for Nonprofits: up to $10K/month in Ad Grants. Stripe nonprofit rate: 2.2% vs 2.9%. Microsoft nonprofit credits. These structural advantages compound over time.
Women-Led
Samantha's leadership as Executive Director opens a distinct tier of grant programs, DEI partnerships, and corporate sponsorships unavailable to male-led or for-profit organizations.