About us
Mad4Change is a nonprofit that turns the excitement of a tournament bracket into donations for local charities. You play against other fans. Your charity collects.
Mad4Change Incorporated
Doing business as Mad4Change
EIN 43-2654728
Our mission
To create a different kind of fundraiser for charities by harnessing the excitement of the sports people already follow. Members compete in a healthy, friendly contest to show off their picks, and they battle each other to earn donations for the charity they have chosen. With the help of our members and their contributions, we assist those in need while giving back to our communities.
Our vision
A friendly rivalry between cities that leaves every one of them better off. We start with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, each playing for its own charities and racing to raise the most. As more cities join, the game grows into a yearly habit across more sports, and the only scoreboard that really counts is how much reached the people who needed it.
Our organization
Mad4Change Incorporated was formed in 2026, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and runs as a nonprofit under the name Mad4Change. We cover more than one sport, the charities you play for are local to your city, and you can follow your donation all the way from the moment you give it to the charity it reaches.
We are applying for 501(c)(3) status. Until it is granted we are not accepting donations, and nothing on this site is live.
What we hold to
Charities are the only winners
No prizes, no gift cards, no cash-outs. Players earn badges and bragging rights; every dollar goes to a charity.
Local money, local good
You play for a charity in your own city, and what your city raises stays with your city's charities — unless you get drawn into a rivalry battle, and then another city's money is up for grabs.
Open about the money
We show the split before you give, and you can follow your donation all the way to the charity it reaches.
Nobody gets left behind
Forget to make a pick and we fill it in for you, so a busy week never costs your charity its place in the game.
Our leadership
Mark J. Cippel Jr
Founder and President
Welcome to Mad4Change. I founded this nonprofit for a single purpose: to assist those in need and have a bit of fun while doing it. There seems to be so much hate and negligence in the world that I wanted to do my small part to try and change that.
I have always been passionate about giving back. I had the amazing opportunity to be a Big in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I soon realized that many families struggle just to get through each day, and that a small gesture such as playing basketball with a child for an hour can make all the difference in the world.
I look at my life and realize how lucky I have it: a beautiful wife and three daughters (go girl dads!), the means to provide for my family, and supportive friends and family. When people ask me why I started this, the answer is simple: because I have so much when there are others that have so little.
I look forward to having you as a part of this community. No matter what charity you represent, thank you for doing your part to make a change, however big or small. We hope you will join us in this adventure of making the world a better place, one game at a time.
— Mark