RunSignup | GiveSignup Welcomes Bruce Kratz, VP of Development

November 18, 2020

RunSignup | GiveSignup welcomes Bruce Kratz as their new VP of Development. Kratz joins the team as a part of the growth plan that led to a Series A funding in September. He will manage and expand the development team to meet the technology needs of a growing customer base as demand for GiveSignup swells in the nonprofit community.

Kratz previously served as the CTO of Sparta Systems where he spearheaded a transformation of engineering, including the expansion of the company’s product portfolio leading to two successful Private Equity exits during his tenure. He also held leadership roles at IBM, HP and privately held software companies specializing in high-growth engineering teams. Nearly 20 years ago, he worked with RunSignup | GiveSignup Founder & CEO Bob Bickel at Bluestone Software (acquired by HP).

“When we decided that we had an enormous opportunity to help customers raise more in the nonprofit space, we knew we had to build more scalability into our organization,” said Bob Bickel, Founder and CEO. “I immediately approached Bruce to join us because he was a good fit for our culture, had deep technology experience and has led growth development at Bluestone/HP, Princeton Softech (acquired by IBM) and most recently at Sparta Systems where he grew the team from 25 to over 100.”

“I’m very excited to join the team,” stated Bruce. “The fact the company believes in the ‘Art of Technology’ shows with the bright and deep team that is in place. The technology lead they have built in the endurance space is impressive with the breadth and depth of the platform. To help the company grow from helping our customers raise $270 Million per year to over $1 Billion per year is very exciting. Seeing the things we build help so many good causes and good people is a very unique opportunity.”

The hiring of Kratz fits with RunSignup | GiveSignup’s emphasis on technology as the foundation of the company. In 2021, the company plans to increase their spending on development from 41% to 47% of their operating budget, while similar technology providers hover around 20-25% spend on development. This focus on technology allows the company to reduce spending on sales and marketing and keeps the cost of their advanced technology low.

Kratz holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Monmouth University where he currently serves on the School of Science Dean’s Advisory Committee. He also serves on advisory boards of several small technology companies. Kratz is a NJ Certified Firefighter and a member of his community fire department where he responds to emergency calls during nights and weekends.

About RunSignup | GiveSignup

GiveSignup | RunSignup is the leading all-in-one platform for fundraising and endurance events. More than 21,000 events, supporting over 8,000 nonprofits, use GiveSignup/RunSignup’s free and integrated solution to save time, grow their events, and raise more. Built on a powerful CRM, our expertly crafted, open, and all-in-one solution powers nonprofit revenue generation and supporter engagement from run/walk/rides to ticket events to donation websites, forms, and fundraising campaigns. For more information, visit www.givesignup.org or www.runsignup.com.