Online shopping with a cause has been picking up significant momentum recently, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Companies such as SocialVest, igive.com, and Shop for Good are just a few of the cause-filled consumer sites that have popped up on our radar, and we’re expecting a slew of similar ventures to surface in the next year. Being huge proponents of the potential power of capitalism and activism, we’re always on the lookout for enterprises working with brands and nonprofits to make a difference. The new one-to-one cause marketing platform Endorse for a Cause (EFAC) fits that bill to a T.
EFAC allows consumers to raise money for the causes closest to their hearts, while shopping online through the EFAC site or on the sites of retailers partnered with the program. Members can then endorse those causes on Facebook and Twitter. When social network contacts make purchases based on an endorsement, EFAC receives a portion of the money and allocates approximately 70% to a member’s charity of choice. No additional money needs to be spent by the consumer.
EFAC CEO Ed Trimble says the business offers far more than a one stop purchasing experience. “This isn’t about come to our site and come shopping,” explained Trimble. ”It’s about leveraging the power of individual endorsements and social networks.”
EFAC’s current cause partners include Kiva, American Red Cross, the Humane Society of the U.S., American Cancer Society, Hands on Network, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Prevent Child Abuse America, the Nature Conservatory, CARE and Feeding America. Jam-packed with the social goodness of all the above nonprofits and the reach of more than 500 retailers including giants such as Target and Starbucks, EFAC will undoubtedly penetrate the cause marketing ecosystem.
Trimble says EFAC has invited a plethora of nonprofits to join the program. In addition to the 10 501(c)(3) organizations that have accepted, more will join when EFAC members list and vote for new causes they’d like to see on the website. Once a cause receives a certain number of votes that charity will go live. With all the online voting debates that have been surfacing lately, we’re happy to know that members are allowed to vote for a specific cause no more than once a week.
Our favorite part of EFAC: cause-based prizes! The top supporters for each nonprofit could win rewards ranging from a trip to a social good conference in Washington D.C. to a Skype call with an entrepreneur in a developing country. The marriage of consumerism and cause could be a match made in heaven. It’s nice to see the causes bringing home the bacon.
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Tags: American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, CARE, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Ed Trimble, Endorse for a Cause, Feeding America, hands on network, Kiva, Prevent Child Abuse America, the Humane Society of the U.S.
