From time to time we will profile members of the Give Lively team, revealing more about who we are, what we do and how we fit into a mix of dedicated and dynamic engineers, creatives, strategists and advocates helping nonprofits do more with digital fundraising tools.

Like the focus of this week’s profile, the full Give Lively team is passionate about using tech for social good and providing a better fundraising experience to nonprofits and donors.

Christian Lowe

What do you do at Give Lively?

I joined Give Lively in the late fall of 2023 and I’m currently a senior software engineer. As a member of the engineering team, I perform regular maintenance that keeps the platform running smoothly. I also work with our amazing team of product managers, designers and QA engineers to build new features that empower our member nonprofits to raise more money for important causes around the world.

What does a day in your life at Give Lively look like?

One of the things I love about working for a tech company like Give Lively is that my typical day isn’t usually very typical. Some days, I may find myself working on a feature that helps nonprofits collect valuable feedback from their donors via custom questions; other days, I may find myself collaborating directly with our leadership team to brainstorm new initiatives that delight nonprofits and donors alike!

Even though our company is 100% remote, we’re an incredibly collaborative and low-ego team at Give Lively, so despite being an engineer I get to have an impact that extends far beyond just the code I write every day.

What do you like to do outside of Give Lively?

Amongst my friends, I’m known for championing the rule of “Yes and..”. If you’re not familiar with it, the “Yes and..” rule comes from the world of improv comedy. It’s a principle that encourages embracing new scenarios or ideas ('Yes') and then adding to them ('and...'). This creates a kind of positive, collaborative flow state where everyone builds on each other’s ideas, leading to unexpected and often hilarious outcomes.

The “Yes and..” rule is something I often apply to my personal life. It's the reason why I’m always exploring new hobbies like Jiu Jitsu, East Coast swing dancing and making music. Each of these has challenged me in different ways, whether it’s learning discipline on the mat, rhythm and connection on the dance floor, or simply how to express myself better through music.

This philosophy helps me stay curious, engaged in life and motivated to improve myself.

What excites you about Give Lively?

At a time in history when so many tech companies are pouring massive resources into technologies that only serve to increase their bottom line at the expense of the public good, Give Lively is different.

The work we do empowers individuals and organizations who are typically overlooked and underserved, even as they themselves do important work to make a difference in the world.

What I love about working at Give Lively is that I get to end each workday knowing that the code I write is used to make a tangible difference in the world. It also doesn’t hurt that I have some of the coolest coworkers ever.