FREEHOLD, N.J., Sept. 9, 2008 — It comes as no surprise as the economy continues to slide, taking financial security with it, giving is on the decline. That's bad news for nonprofits. The good news, however, is that Alliance Charities, Inc. (http://www.alliancecharities.org), a 501(c)(3) organization, has a way for anyone to support causes they care about without actually giving out-of-pocket.
By partnering with retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, eBay, Staples, Gap, Disney, Starbucks and many others — and by utilizing Google Custom Search — Alliance Charities enables online shoppers to contribute to U.S.-based nonprofits with every purchase they make.
For shoppers, there is no added expense. Funding comes from commissions earned on purchases. Affiliate retailers send Alliance Charities commissions based on shoppers' purchases of items they would normally buy, and Alliance Charities distributes funds to supported charities.
Those who don't shop can still help. By utilizing Alliance Charities' search page, powered by Google, anyone can earn an average of $0.02 per qualified search for a favorite charitable organization. The stakes are even higher with the comparison shopping tool Price Runner, which earns $0.20 with each click-thru to stores offering competitive pricing options.
Alliance Charities isn't alone in the affiliate marketing for charity space, yet it stands apart from its for-profit competitors by ensuring that 100% of the revenue collected is consumed by a charitable organization. Moreover, the Alliance Charities model maximizes and accelerates consumers' giving power – and in turn, the benefit for charities. One charity noted that with a single consumer purchase, it received a donation through Alliance Charities that was comparable to the total donations it had received over the course of three years through a competitor.
Nonprofits can join the Alliance for free. Freidrieck's Ataxia Research Alliance (http://shoptocurefa.org), Stella Adler ), Feed The Children ), and Happy Hill Farm ) are among the organizations taking advantage of the program. Nonprofits receive customized, branded shopping sites they can market to existing donors, offering an additional method of giving to those already sensitive to the cause.
What's the motivation for retailers to give 4%-50% of purchase amounts to Alliance Charities? Simply put: advertising. According to Outsell's Annual Advertising and Marketing Study 2008, "Advertising is [a] major funding [source] for the information industry, accounting for 42% of the $381 billion industry." Alliance Charities spokesperson Keri Ann Walker says giving a small percentage of sales in exchange for traffic directed to their websites is a winning proposition for retailers, especially as consumers put the brakes on extra shopping trips.
Anecdotal data suggests shoppers are indeed headed to computers instead of the mall this holiday season. Amazon attributed its second-quarter earnings, which more than doubled over last year's figures, to rising fuel costs.
"This is the perfect time for nonprofits to see how we can help," Walker concludes. "The possibilities are exciting for relief organizations, school districts, churches, museums and other U.S.-based nonprofits."
Contact:
Keri Ann Walker
972-839-5696
Email
http://www.alliancecharities.org
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