A quiet directory for the people who already give.

A two-sided civic tool. Every verified 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) in Polk County gets a profile — for free, forever. Sponsors create a lightweight profile that describes what they care about and how they like to give. Matches happen in public, in the open, by humans and by algorithm.

We publish sponsorship opportunities, not appeals. A nonprofit posts an event with tier options (cash or in-kind); sponsors express interest in the tiers that fit them; the two parties take it from there. The exchange sends notifications, keeps records, and stays out of the way.

• Not a donation platform. We don’t process payments. Money moves between nonprofit and sponsor directly.
• Not a fundraising consultancy. We don’t write grant applications or strategy decks.
• Not a sales marketplace. Nonprofits are not leads; sponsors are not prospects. Participation is always free on both sides.
• Not a national platform. Polk County, Florida only. Every entry is verified against IRS public records and local registries.

Lake Morton, in downtown Lakeland, has been home to a quietly cherished population of mute swans since 1923. They were a gift from Queen Elizabeth II. They aren’t native, they aren’t dramatic, and they don’t ask for attention — they’re just there, reliably, part of the fabric of the place. That’s the register we aim for with the exchange.

The Lakeland Sponsor Exchange is built and maintained by Summit Labs, a boutique technology consultancy based in Lakeland, FL. Summit Labs works with SMBs, nonprofits, and civic organizations across Central Florida on fractional-CTO engagements and custom product builds.

The exchange itself is a gift to the community. Use it, share it, ignore it — no strings. If it saves one nonprofit a week of cold-emailing or one sponsor a quarter of sifting through generic asks, it’s done its job.

Verified, not vetted

We confirm every organization against IRS public records, Florida Sunbiz, and local filings before it gets a live profile. We don’t judge the quality of their work — that’s for sponsors to decide.

Editorial, not algorithmic

Matches can be surfaced by algorithm, but we write the copy, define the taxonomies, and review the profiles. Humans are in the loop.

Privacy-respecting by default

Sponsors can list publicly or stay anonymous until they express interest. Nonprofits decide what to share and what to withhold. No third-party trackers.

Small on purpose

Polk County only. 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) only. One region done well beats ten regions done poorly.