iGivefirst

The Give button is now available!

“A Single Click Supports Any Cause with iGivefirst”

Breakthrough “Give” button lets website visitors easily donate while giving advertisers a turnkey way to align with virtually any cause

Denver, CO (PRWEB)
December 08, 2011

Starting today, online publishers, bloggers, and website owners can make supporting charities as easy as “liking” or “tweeting” with iGivefirst, an easy-to-use platform allowing website visitors to donate to federally registered charities with just one click.

“Social media has made it easier than ever to share and discuss news within our social circles. iGivefirst provides people with the opportunity to not only share the story, but also make contributions to charities that support the very issue they’re reading about,” said Sharif Youssef, founder and CEO of iGivefirst. He noted that during the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, more than 5,500 Twitter posts per second (called “tweets”) were being posted discussing the earthquake. “Imagine the difference we could have made if those people also would been able to donate to disaster relief causes that supported Japan,” Youssef said.

By combining new technology, mainstream media and social involvement, iGivefirst completes the social Internet trifecta of the future, which, according to Youssef, will be “Like”, “Tweet” and “Give”. “The ‘Give’ button empowers people worldwide to unite in their effort to positively impact the things that really matter,” he added.

The iGivefirst “Give” button can be displayed on any website, much like the Facebook, Twitter and other sharing buttons used by millions online each day. Rather than simply sharing or forwarding a story, users that click the “Give” button are presented with legitimate nonprofit organizations directly related to the story they’ve been reading. For example, a click on the “Give” button at the bottom of an online story about the recent earthquakes in Turkey will show organizations offering relief and support to victims of that specific disaster. Users may select the charity of their choice and make a donation, which can be as little as $10.

The button is currently displayed on ICOSA Magazine’s website and Hypervocal.com. ICOSA facilitates dynamic cooperation among individuals, businesses, governmental bodies and educational organizations to help foster change and growth through social responsibility. HyperVocal provides engaged millennials of the “Facebook Generation” with a comprehensive look at the complete, hyper-frenetic news cycle.

iGivefirst also assures consumers their donations are going to legitimate, federally registered charities. The number of Katrina related sites doubled in two days after the hurricane devastated the U.S. gulf coast. Sadly, a follow-up FBI investigation of 800 of the charities revealed as many as 60 percent of the sites were not legitimate. iGivefirst only displays legitimate nonprofit organizations that are registered and in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). “iGivefirst increases fundraising efficiency by reducing costs for charitable organizations, which benefits the nonprofit and those they serve,” said Miriam May of SMART Consulting, who formerly served as executive director of Susan G. Komen Foundation and senior vice president of the United Way of Southeastern New England.

Revenue for Websites, Exposure for Advertisers

The “Give” button also provides website owners with a new source of revenue through content-related advertising. Companies and brands can sponsor the placement of a supporting message within the give screen through either the website owner or iGivefirst. This feature not only provides a new revenue stream to online publishers, it allows companies and brands to show support for virtually any cause important to a consumer through the iGivefirst application.

“A majority of consumers patronize companies that support causes that are meaningful and important to them,” said Youssef. “Eighty-eight percent of people believe companies should encourage and support social causes, and 80 percent are likely to switch brands to one that supports a cause they care about,” he added (statistics from the Do Well Do Good Survey 2010).

Additionally, when a visitor chooses to make a contribution, they are prompted to share on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. As a result, the hosting website, the specific article, the supporting brand, and the ability to support the cause, are all communicated within the donor’s online social circle.

About iGivefirst

Denver-based iGivefirst is a transformative platform that makes donating to legitimate charities as easy and safe as “liking” or “tweeting” from digital media and news sites. The company’s “Give” button can be easily placed on any website or blog and facilitates donations to charitable organizations providing support to the need described in the story on that page. iGivefirst is easy, trustworthy and secure, and it supports only legitimate nonprofit organizations that are federally registered and in good standing with the IRS. For more information on iGivefirst, visit their website at http://www.iGivefirst.com.

To register as a publisher or apply as a nonprofit go to:
http://www.igivefirst.com/register