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The Funding Frontier: How Marcia Dawood is Redefining Startup Capital at Angel Club

  • Writer: Angel Gambino
    Angel Gambino
  • Jul 11
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jul 22

TL;DR: Our latest Angel Club Mentor Masterclass featured Marcia Dawood — Chair of the SEC Advisory Committee for Small Business Capital Formation, podcast host of The Angel Next Door, and veteran angel investor. In this high-impact session, Marcia shared creative strategies for startup fundraising, from revenue-based financing to donor-advised funds to equity crowdfunding. Founders walked away with actionable ideas, real funding pathways, and a mindset shift around how to raise smarter.



MASTERCLASS HIGHLIGHT: “Funding Outside the Box” with Angel Club Mentor Marcia Dawood

This week’s Mentor Masterclass featured Marcia Dawood, Chair of the SEC Advisory Committee for Small Business Capital Formation, and a powerhouse in the angel investing world. Marcia joined Angel Club to unpack creative, nontraditional ways for founders to raise capital — especially when traditional VC paths feel out of reach.

The session explored high-impact strategies to:

  • Raise money without giving up equity

  • Leverage philanthropic and donor-advised capital for for-profit startups

  • Decide when crowdfunding models (debt, equity, or revenue-based) make the most sense

“Just because something does good for the world doesn’t mean it can’t make money. You can do good and do well — and founders need to own that mindset.” — Marcia Dawood, SEC Advisor & Angel Club Mentor

WHAT PARTICIPANTS LEARNED

🔍 Frameworks You Can Apply Immediately:

  • Revenue-Based Financing: Ideal for founders with recurring or seasonal revenue. Raise non-dilutive capital by repaying investors as your revenue grows.

  • Debt Crowdfunding: For founders needing $10K–$50K, platforms like Honeycomb allow you to tap your community and customers without giving up ownership.

  • Philanthropic Investment: Use donor-advised funds to bring in mission-aligned capital — a little-known but powerful path to funding social-impact businesses.

💡 Key Mindset Shifts:

  • “Founders shouldn’t be afraid to ask — but they need to ask smartly, transparently, and consistently.”

  • Investors are not ATMs. Build the relationship before you send the deck.

  • Profit and impact are not mutually exclusive — sustainable business models scale meaningful change.

“Every time I sit in on one of Marcia’s sessions, I walk away with something new I can apply immediately.” — Jon-David Hague, Angel Club Mentor Community Lead

REAL-TIME IMPACT

“I never realized I could use a donor-advised fund to support startups solving problems I care about. This changed my view of what’s possible.” — Alina Braverman, Founder
“Marcia’s explanation of crowdfunding was a huge unlock. We’re now seriously considering Honeycomb for debt crowdfunding.” — Michael Miller, Entrepreneur
“Loved the example where Marcia walked through the revenue-based model. Game changer for us.” — Hadi, Angel Club Member


THE ANGEL CLUB DIFFERENCE: MENTORSHIP THAT MOVES THE NEEDLE


“The power of mentorship is one of the most underutilized accelerators in both startups and investing. At Angel Club, we see time and time again how the right mentor can help a founder avoid costly mistakes, or guide an investor toward smarter, more values-aligned decisions. Mentorship isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking better questions, sharing real-world experience, and staying in the game with clarity and confidence. That’s why I’m so grateful to have Marcia Dawood as part of our mentor community. She brings not only deep expertise as an angel investor and fund leader, but also rare emotional intelligence and genuine care for the growth of every founder and investor she supports. Marcia is a true force for good in this ecosystem.”

— Angel Gambino, Founder, Angel Club


🎯 Precision + Personalization

  • Every session is tailored to real founder pain points — not generic theory.

  • Founders leave with actionable next steps, not just notes.

🌐 Network-Effect Learning

  • Sessions attract investors, operators, and experts — creating powerful new relationships in real-time.

  • Many members report investor intros and follow-ups within 48 hours.

📚 Cumulative Value

  • Access the full recording, bonus templates, and follow-up tools through the Angel Club resource hub.

  • Integrate lessons with ongoing mentorship, pitch prep, and investor matchmaking.



TESTIMONIAL SNAPSHOTS

“We implemented the philanthropic capital strategy within a week and opened a new door for mission-aligned investors.” — Bill Stone, Startup Founder
“This masterclass gave me the clarity I needed to break our fundraising logjam and rethink how we structure our round.” — Mohammad Shehata, Founder & Operator
“The level of mentor access here blows everything else out of the water.” — Angel Club Member


DON’T MISS FUTURE MASTERCLASSES

Join us for upcoming events with world-class mentors and capital connectors:

Angel Club: Where Exceptional Founders and Investors Build Meaningful Relationships That Accelerate Growth

 
 
 

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