iGIVE.COM SHOPPERS RAISE OVER $1,000,000 FOR THEIR FAVORITE CHARITIES
Better Than Ever Back-To-School Online Shopping Contributes Strongly To Growth
Holiday Shopping Could Double Donations to Charities
iGive.com, an online charity mall with over 400 popular stores in it, where up to 39% of all purchases goes back to the shopper's favorite cause has sent over $1 million to worthy causes. They hope this year's online shoppers will double that number. Shoppers sign-up at www.igive.com just once (it's free)and the site tracks the stores they shop in and sends a portion of each purchase to their favorite cause.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allison Clark, Ink Tank PR, 847.921.7417, allison@inktankpr.com
EVANSTON, IL-(September 30, 2002)- Involved shoppers, with an increased awareness of the need to support their local charities after this turbulent year, have broken the $1,000,000 raised" mark at iGive.com. Over 4,700 different charities, most quite small and locally focused, have benefited from their supporters shopping this year alone. Nearly 18,000 charities have benefited since iGives inception in 1997.
The iGive.com concept is simple. Shop at any of the 400+ popular online stores at www.iGive.com and a percentage of everything you buy goes to your own personal favorite cause. It doesnt cost the shopper or the charity anything extra, and the buying power of hundreds of thousands of shoppers often means that the shopper actually spends less.
While the causes may be small, the amounts raised are adding up fast. To make sure each new shopper gets off to a great start, iGive donates an additional $5 with a shoppers first time purchase. Everybody seems to like this newfangled free gift with purchase, where the gift goes to the shoppers favorite cause.
Some of the most popular stores in the iGive mall according to members include Lands End, Barnes and Noble, proFlowers.com, Amazon.com, Pet Food Direct, JCPenney, 123Inkjets, L.L. Bean, Coldwater Creek, Drugstore.com, Dell Home Systems, 1-800-Flowers, Value Mags, Office Depot, OfficeMax.com and eBay.
This year our shoppers have discovered how easy and convenient it is to do their back-to-school shopping through iGive.com and give to their favorite cause at the same time," notes Rob Grosshandler, iGive.com founder. Lands End, Eddie Bauer, L.L.Bean, JCPenney and the Gap are seeing heavy traffic for clothes, backpacks and other school gear. Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, OfficeMax.com and Half.com are being visited for schoolbooks and supplies. And Dell Home Systems, PC Connection and Buy.com have good prices on computers and computer supplies. Many of these stores are even kicking in free shipping this month!"
Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society (www.almosthomerescue.org) has received over $300 this year through iGive.com. I purchase all of my pet needs from Petfood Direct, they have the largest variety of pet food and treats, Ive also been found browsing the virtual aisles at Dogtoys.com where I can find just about any toy imaginable for my four legged friends!", said Ellen McManus, AHDRS Membership Advisor. Im expecting at least another $20 check from iGive next month based on my purchases, alone."
Small Paws Rescue Inc. (www.smallpawsrescue.org) in Tulsa, Oklahoma has also received an extra $300 this year through iGive.com. "Our members love to shop online and get the very best prices available at stores like Officemax.com and L.L. Bean", said Robin Pressnall, the organization's Executive Director. "We look forward to shopping with iGive.com, getting great bargains and helping Small Paws Rescue at the same time!"
iGive has found that involved shoppers are savvy shoppers. Grosshandler added, Im constantly amazed at how our members stay current with the best prices and bargains. Were always adding daily specials and cool new offers to our site, and our members clamor for more."
In addition to specials and deals, involved shoppers keep current on how their cause is doing at iGive.com. Ms. McManus said I especially like that we can track everything there is to know about the money our supporters earn for us via iGive. iGives online reports even include the check numbers of all the checks sent to us. As a volunteer driven organization, having somebody provide those kinds of details is key to our success with iGive. And as a shopper, I like being able to trace where my money goes!"
Whats next for iGive.com? Theyre gearing up for what they hope will be their biggest online holiday season yet.
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About iGive.com
iGive.com, founded in 1997, was the Internets first venture for turning on-line shopping into a vehicle for charitable giving. The site enables users to support their favorite cause while shopping at over 400 online merchants. iGive.com is a privately held company based in Evanston, IL. For more information, a list of stores, or a list of checks sent to causes, visit www.iGive.com.
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