Website Offers Shoppers a Chance to Donate at No Extra Cost

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Richmond, MA – April 9, 2002 – Ezdonate, a newly formed company offering charitable organizations a percentage of purchases made at affiliated online stores, announces the launch of their website, http://www.ezdonate.com. Before making a purchase, shoppers simply click one of Ezdonate's 300 links to online retailers to donate a portion of the money spent to the charity of their choice. The site's launch date is set for April, 2002.


With no added out-of-pocket costs to consumers, Ezdonate combines charitable giving with online buying through a simple click of one of Ezdonate's 300 links to stores before shopping. No signup is required and an optional email list is available. Charities initially selected by Ezdonate were chosen based on the cause and efforts for which they are most well known, and the direct effect they have had on the organization's workers and loved ones. Such charities include American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Fund and the Twin Towers Fund, to name a few. New charities are selected based on customer suggestions and are subject to due diligence and screening. Those wishing to suggest a charity may do so on the site's contact page.


"Ezdonate is an unobtrusive service offered at no extra cost to consumers," explains William Fezzie, Cofounder of Ezdonate. "We're not looking for handouts, or for people to make additional or unintended purchases. We are simply giving online shoppers a chance to make a difference by visiting us before making their next purchase."

Ezdonate works with name-brand stores who offer compensation for customer referrals. Such names include Amazon, Expedia, Gap, J. Crew and more. While compensation does vary with each vendor, the amount is a standard percentage of consumer spending. Referral fees are included in original product marketing costs and do not increase prices; items cost the same whether or not referred by Ezdonate. Ezdonate simply passes on these referral fees to the charities chosen by each individual shopper on the ezdonate.com homepage.


As a financially non-stressful method of donation, Ezdonate intends to supplement traditional giving, not act as a substitute. After September 11, a tremendous outpouring of generosity was shown for World Trade Center relief efforts. Unfortunately, this incident's financial impact left many charities, not related to relief efforts, without critical funds. Ezdonate hopes to become a method of raising additional funds for all causes so that future events will not prevent organizations from getting donations they rely and survive on.


Current expansion plans for the site include additional merchants, charities, special discounts and informational resources. Ezdonate is looking to attract both individuals and other businesses and organizations.

"We hope organizations with regular purchasing schedules, for items like books and office products, will use us. We also want individuals to think of us before they send flowers or buy a birthday gift - books, CDs, movies - whatever you're shopping for."


You can visit the site at http://www.ezdonate.com or email at prcontact@ezdonate.com.





This article courtesy of http://youthtec.org.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in
your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author
name and URL remain intact.

Submit Your Article