Museum Now Listed on Popular Fundraising and Volunteering Web Sites

[Ed Lecuyer]

In an effort to bring additional revenue and volunteers to the WW&F, a concerted effort took place recently to list our museum on a variety of web sites. These popular sites should bring new interest to our organization.

The WW&F is now listed on www.igive.com and www.goodsearch.com. Visitors to these two web sites can list the WW&F as their preferred charity. Then, visitors use the sites for common web tasks - searching (instead of using Google or another search engine) and shopping. Each search generates a small donation to the WW&F. Purchases generate even more revenue. Any member who uses the Internet on a regular basis is encouraged to use these sites to effortlessly raise donations to the WW&F.

There are also several web sites that list organizations seeking new volunteers. The WW&F is now included on these sites: www.serve.gov, www.allforgood.org, www.idealist.org, www.volunteermaine.org, and www.volunteermatch.org. It is hoped that these listing will help increase the pool of volunteers for the regular weekend duties, and for the bi-annual work weekends.

[Ed Lecuyer]

To date, 3 people (that would be me and 2 others) have used iGive to raise almost $20 for the WW&F. All I've been doing is starting at igive.com, selecting the WW&F as my preferred charity, and doing my Internet shopping from there. This even works for well-known sites such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, Overstock.com, Staples.com, etc.

Standard Internet searches still work best with Google or Bing, but iGive can also be used when you're not looking for something real specific.

[Ed Lecuyer]

"'Tis the season to do shopping."

A couple of members have made a handful Internet purchases through www.igive.com, listing the WW&F as their charity of choice. In just a few short months, with just two active users, more than $50 has been raised for the WW&F!

If you do any shopping online (including through well-known e-retailers like Amazon.com) consider starting at iGive. It's a really easy way to raise real money for our cause.

[Ed Lecuyer]

I just got an email from the folks at iGive. First off, they have already donated almost $60.00 to the museum, with the first royalty checks already arrived... this with less than 10 supporters.

If you sign up before Noon on 12/16/09 and do just 1 search, we get $1. While that doesn't sound like much, it adds up quickly... especially if you buy something.

Signup is easy (and free) click on:
http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?m=633238

Those of you who know me, know that I don't forward 'send to all your friends' emails, spam schemes, and jokes. This is a legit way to raise money for the WW&F and I have not seen any downside to using it.

Thanks,

-Ed

[James Patten]

Any idea how much money was raised from iGive from this offer?

[Ed Lecuyer]

It looks like only 3 additional supporters joined... meaning $3.

However, an existing member made a purchase in the last few days who had not done so before. This brought our total to date to over $70.

After a while, it starts becoming real money.

[Stephen Hussar]

I signed up 

[Ira Schreiber]

Me too.

Ira Schreiber

[Dave Buczkowski]

Ditto

[Ken Fleming]

Be sure and go to the iGive.com web site and read the FAQ's on how getyour purchases recorded.  I have done a lot of buying for the season, but I didn't go through iGive tool bar to do it, so we missed some bucks.  Even eBay gives us a kick back.  Just use the iGive tool bar!

[Hunt Dowse]

It's easy & fast to sign up.  Great idea!

[Ed Lecuyer]

Slight correction:
You don't have to use the iGive tool bar to have your purchases credited to the WW&F. Just start the "search" for products/stores on the iGive web site (www.igive.com) and the transaction will get recorded and we'll get credited.
(If a browser plug-in were required, I wouldn't have signed up.)

[Mike Fox]

I'd like to but it won't let me right now. I'll have to try again later.

[Ken Fleming]

Ed, you're right about the tool bar.  However, using the tool bar allows one to see iGive acknowledge that your shopping at a site/store that is in the program.  I originally did not use the tool bar and I didn't use their site either.  But, I did get credit for purchases and searching anyway after singing up.  But, it may have been better using their service.  So, its to his/her own.

[Ed Lecuyer]

If you haven't signed up yet, here's your (our) chance:

For the next 24 hours, if you sign up for iGive AND do at least one search, we get $1. To sign up, use:
http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?m=633238

To date, nearly $100 has been raised for the WW&F and that's just from 13 members (4 of whom are actually using iGive somewhat regualarly.) I use iGive all the time for my eShopping, and it works very well.