Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 0
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 1
Although the term “doing well by doing good” has been around for several decades, it’s rare to a see a company that has developed a solution that helps other companies do well by doing good, too. Meet 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving), an Austin-based startup that has developed a technology-based solution that meets corporate, consumer and charity needs. 121Giving.com makes online giving tangible by providing a single source for donors, charities and companies that care. Founded by Liz Deering and Mark Courtney, two interactive and nonprofit veterans and “philanthropeurs,” 121Giving is a digital marketplace and online crowdfunding platform that harnesses the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. nonprofit organizations. At the 121Giving.com website, nonprofit organizations raise awareness and funds for products they purchase, suppliers make their goods and products available in a secure marketplace for nonprofits and their supporters, and donors contribute directly to nonprofit agencies and their product-related needs. The cycle of giving is supported through 121Giving’s crowdfunding capabilities. 121Giving is an exclusive marketplace and crowdfunding platform driven by the real needs of charities and powered by brands that care. 121Giving’s digital marketplace allows businesses to offer deals directly to charities while still generating a profit. 121Giving.com’s eCommerce capabilities, powered by eBay’s Magento platform, is designed to connect charities with suppliers, and it introduces an exclusive sales channel between participating corporations and hundreds of thousands of qualified 501(c)(3) charities in the U.S. Brands benefit from an immediate ROI on goods sold, and long-term benefits include brand advocacy, transparency, increased product circulation and loyalty from consumers who purchase more frequently from socially responsible companies. Brands stand to foster an emotional stake with consumers, aligning sustainable innovation and creating a profound impact on the next generation of consumers who truly care about where their giving is going. Consumers want to know where their giving is going Consumers across the U.S. want to give, and they want to know their donations make a difference, especially if they can see a positive, tangible impact in their own communities. 121Giving’s platform shows where brands’ giving is going – a nod to the 90% of consumers who want companies to show and tell them about how they are supporting causes. Brands can measure their social impact while consumers know exactly what their donations are supporting. Companies and consumers can support nonprofits through tangible giving and change lives, every day. For consumers: 121Giving enables consumers to discover needs around them and issues they care about, fund specific product-based campaigns for their favorite causes, and see exactly how their donation dollars are being used by charities and where their donations are going. At 121Giving.com, donors can feed the need and change lives. For nonprofits: Charities can publicize the good they do and the needs they have, and support both by giving supporters the opportunity to participate in a tangible giving experience. Nonprofits’ 121Giving.com campaigns are focused on purchasing specific items, supplies and products they need to change lives and improve communities, and the website tracks the progress of each campaign based on the number of products purchased/fulfilled. For suppliers: 121Giving provides a targeted new sales channel that enables brands to sell to and support causes or nonprofit categories that align with their business values and corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. Companies and brands can provide visibility into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and transparency around their philanthropic goals, promises and impact. Find out more about how 121Giving works.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 2
121Giving.com: Making Everyday Philanthropy Tangible, Visible and Transparent Showing where “good” is going has been a recurring issue for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs in many companies. Despite increasing CSR budgets, many companies still fail to convince the public of the impact of their efforts. Consumers are sharing and consuming more data than ever before, and they expect ‘conscious brands' to do the same, yet 70% of consumers are confused by the messages companies use to talk about their CSR initiatives. Brand and retailers, likewise, are committed to a growing number of CSR initiatives but also face increasing scrutiny from consumers who want tangible data and evidence that philanthropic corporate initiatives have a meaningful impact and serve the common good. These charity-minded consumers also are turning to digital and social platforms to launch and support crowdfunding campaigns on behalf of the causes and issues they care about. 121Giving touches on this major disconnect when it comes to corporate giving: companies whose efforts are not visible enough to the public/ 121Giving.com’s marketplace and giving platform provides visibility into the daily CSR efforts of companies through online dashboards, encouraging emotional loyalty while satisfying consumers’ needs of knowing exactly where their giving dollars are going. 121Giving.com creates new digital connections between corporations and causes, and it uses social sharing tools to generate consumer awareness in a marketplace that is increasingly challenging for all three groups. Charities that operate within tight/shrinking budgets often find that the donations they receive are not adequate for their needs, and despite investment of precious time and effort to find discounts that save them money, they nonetheless pay retail prices to meet their obligations. Corporate Social Responsibility Trends
According to a recently released study on Reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility, 73% of consumers are willing to recommend companies that are perceived to be delivering on CSR initiatives, yet only 5% of companies are seen as compliant around their CSR objectives.
Results from the same study demonstrate that 59% of consumers would also go out of their way to communicate something positive about companies they perceive as good corporate citizens, compared to 23% for companies perceived to be weak in this area.
Despite increasing CSR budgets, many companies fail to convince the public of the impact of their efforts: 70% of consumers are confused by companies’ CRS messages.
90% of consumers want companies to tell them about how they support causes.
The Sizeable Nonprofit Sector
Nonprofits’ share of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GPD) GDP in 2014 was 5.3% In 2012, public charities reported more than $1.65 trillion in total revenues and $1.57 trillion in total
expenses. Charitable contributions by individuals, foundations, bequests and corporations reached $335.17
billion in 2013, an increase of 4.4% after adjustment for inflation from 2012. There are 966.599 public charities, 96,584 private foundations and 366,618 other types of nonprofit
organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 3
The Growing Industry of Giving
47% of Americans stated that they would be more likely to give to a nonprofit organization online rather than directly to an individual or to a company’s social/environmental campaign
$1.85 billion was spent by brands on cause marketing in 2014
64% of businesses gave more in 2013 than they did in 2010 63% of millennials feel as though posting information about the social or environmental issues
they care about on social media channels is an effective way to raise awareness and gain support More than $100 million was raised for ALS during the Ice Bucket Challenge on social media. 64% in increased non-cash giving by brands from 2010-2013
1Cone Communications Digital Activism Study 2014
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 4
Liz Deering, Co-founder, Connector and Strategist Liz Deering is a social entrepreneur, strategic thinker and risk taker whose experiences with both category-disrupting startups and traditional nonprofit organizations provided the skills and fueled her passion to help launch 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving) – a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace that harnesses the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. charities, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities. In 2011, when Deering took the reins as marketing director of Goodwill Industries in Austin, she quickly saw the technology platforms and business processes that had fueled earlier successes at startups in which she was involved, including Picasa, InnoCentive and EnPocket, were lacking in the nonprofit sector. “I wanted to build something that would help charities become more efficient commercially and make an even bigger impact with the support of corporations and technology.” Bolstered by her 15 years of experience in marketing, interactive technologies, and account management, and a master’s degree in design, she and colleague Mark Courtney founded Affinity Interactive Group, an interactive agency focused on organizational strategies, content and community-building to strengthen ties between organizations and their clients that included Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Murphy Oil USA. It was at this time that their vision came to life for solving fund-raising, product procurement and donor challenges for nonprofit organizations. Deering is a self-professed idealist– and life-long technology enthusiast and innovator. The online giving platform that she’s built with co-founder Mark Courtney provides corporations with a sustainable, long-term philanthropic solution that enhances the value and impact of their social responsibility efforts. Backed by nearly $1 million in seed funding to date, 121Giving, which launched in beta in 2014, is “bettering the business of giving, by creating one-to-one connections between givers, corporations and charities,” says Liz. To learn more about Liz’ vision for connecting charities and consumers with corporations who care, you can contact Liz at [email protected] or connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 5
Mark Courtney, Co-founder, Passionate Problem-Solver, Social Entrepreneur Mark Courtney’s vision for solving social issues, combined with his extensive enterprise solutions background, led him to co-found a new type of online giving platform using the power of collaboration, information and Internet-enabled technology to connect charities and consumers with businesses to better the business of giving for everyone. A social innovator and servant leader, Courtney says the idea for 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving), an ecommerce and online giving platform, emerged as he confronted the realities of an increasingly digital world that still left so many people and organizations disconnected. He shared his idea with now co-founder Liz Deering for a trusted online platform that would create both a centralized, ecommerce market for charities to procure the products they need, and a vehicle for consumers to be aware of those needs and support those charities and causes, In his words, his goal was to “create the most tangible giving experience the web has ever seen.” In 2011, he and Deering launched Affinity Interactive Group, an interactive agency focused on organizational strategies, content and community-building to strengthen ties between organizations and their clients, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Murphy Oil USA. It was during this time that Mark’s vision for an ecommerce platform to connect charities with businesses and their products, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities become reality. His background in enterprise technology consulting at Accenture and Avanade provided valuable experience pulling together complex technology systems and processes. After several years in development, 121Giving was launched in 2014 and has received nearly $1 million of investment funding to date. In Mark’s words, 121Giving.com is a platform that frees nonprofits to focus less on product acquisition and more on the causes they serve with passion, “the platform provides transparency into the needs around you, based on what you care about, whether you’re an individual consumer or a socially conscious business.” To learn more about Mark’s vision for modernizing corporate philanthropy and bettering the business of giving, you can reach him at [email protected] or connect with him on LinkedIn.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 6
AUSTIN STARTUP LAUNCHES PRODUCT MARKETPLACE AND CROWDFUNDING PLATFORM TO CONNECT BRANDS, CHARITIES AND CONSUMERS
121Giving.com’s Online Giving Tools Enable Causes Nonprofits to Crowdfund Needs, Show Consumers Where Their Giving is Going
Austin, TX – March 18, 2015 – For donors and consumer givers who want to know that the money they donate to charity is making a tangible impact and serving real needs, Austin-based startup 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving) today launched a new product marketplace and crowdfunding platform that enables donors to know where their giving is going every time they support a nonprofit through the site – www.121giving.com. Developed by Liz Deering and Mark Courtney, experienced entrepreneurs who have funneled their business-technology passions and nonprofit expertise into a business model that makes philanthropy a successful and transparent online venture, 121Giving was built by the two “philanthropeurs” to help charities find products they need to fulfil their missions, match those needs with supplier brands eager to help causes, and get consumers involved to help fund the product-oriented campaigns. “We launched 121Giving because we wanted to improve the way that nonprofits, consumers and charity-minded companies can all work together for the collective good,” said Deering, co-founder and chief operating officer, who previously worked for technology companies and Goodwill Industries of Austin before launching the company with Courtney. “We wanted to make the entire giving process more efficient and transparent, both to solve the inefficiencies and costs that nonprofits often face with traditional product procurement and to address consumer skepticism about how their donations are being used.” Many recent studies have shown that consumers want more details from the companies they patronize about their support of nonprofits and causes and the results of their donations and contributions. In fact, 88% of consumers in North America want companies to inform them about their support of social and environmental causes, and 69% of Millennials say they are most likely to donate to a nonprofit that inspires them. “Our online marketplace and crowdfunding platform brings everything to the forefront in a way that delivers measurable results for everyone involved,” says Courtney, a social innovator and enterprise technology expert who is responsible for 121Giving.com’s technology, platform and business strategy. “Nonprofits get the products they need, donors can see the impact of their giving, companies can make a profit while being good corporate citizens, and communities benefit from campaigns that tackle issues, solve problems and change lives all around them.” Feeding the Need, Matching Brands and Donors Through 121Giving, nonprofits can publish their specific needs for products by developing crowdfunding campaigns, consumers can donate money to buy those products and track the campaign’s progress and success, while companies can show they care by making their products available at prices that nonprofits can afford. The unique nonprofit-donor-brand ecosystem delivers the visibility nonprofits need, the crowdsourcing power of donors, and a steady supply chain for merchants to sell products at discounts to charities and still make a profit. For brands interested in selling their products to nonprofits at 121Giving, visit the site’s “Corporate Brand Partners” section.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 7
After a soft launch at SXSW in Austin last week, 121Giving is already hosting four crowdfunding campaigns that support Central Texas nonprofits. Ongoing and future campaigns will cover a range of products that nonprofits urgently need, including office, medical, cleaning and educational supplies; clothing; computers; furniture; food and hygiene products; electronics; home goods, non-perishable goods and more. The current campaigns include:
Front Steps, an agency that provides services to the homeless, raising money for 250 move-in kits for clients moving from the streets to transitional or permanent housing
Color Cancer, a nonprofit serving people with cancer, raising money for cases of high-protein Ensure for 125 people with cancer
Project Transitions, an agency for people with HIV/AIDS, raising money for medical, cleaning and comfort supplies for the 30-plus individuals cared for yearly at Doug’s House, the only Central Texas hospice facility for those with HIV/AIDS.
Rebuilding Together Austin, an agency dedicated to safe, healthy homes for low-income residents, raising money for home repair tools and volunteer supplies to help 30 families.
“The nonprofit market deserves a no-cost solution that enables them to engage online donors easily in helping them purchase the products they need,” said Courtney. “We’re giving nonprofits access to a single online resource where they can source bulk products consistently and affordably, helping them spend less time on product acquisition and more on the missions they serve so passionately.” For consumers wanting to learn more about how they can tangibly support causes and track their donation dollars, visit the “I’m a Giver” section. For nonprofits wanting to publicize their product and campaign needs, and find supplies at lower prices, visit the “I’m a Charity” section. For more information about 121Giving, please visit www.121giving.com or for media inquiries, please contact Vanessa Horwell of ThinkInk at [email protected] or 305-749-5342 x 232. Companies interested in participating can email the founders directly at [email protected].
# # #
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 8
“For 10 years we've provided a fresh start to hundreds of thousands of families displaced by disaster with our House in a Box program. During that time we've been challenged with the nonstop frustration of sourcing products, and working to find ways to engage a broader donor base in giving to families in need. The team at 121Giving has a unique understanding of the challenges facing disaster relief and other on-the-ground agencies, and the know-how to provide a much-needed solution. SVDPUSA Disaster Services is proud to be a launch partner!” COO - Elizabeth Disco-Shearer SVDPUSA Disaster Services Washington, DC
“As CEO of Feed the Children, I am close to the procurement challenges that we and so many other charities face daily. I want my staff focused on running our programs and expanding the reach of our organization in the community, not on tracking down deals on products. Not only does 121Giving solve this challenge, but it also provides the most tangible fundraising experience online. I believe that 121Giving is a smart, timely solution for a long-standing problem and I'm excited to help support Mark and Liz in this endeavor.”
CEO – Kevin Hagan Feed the Children
Oklahoma City, OK “I believe 121Giving’s unique service platform has the potential to deliver tremendous benefit to the entire charitable sector. Now more than ever, resources like this are absolutely essential to help nonprofits stay focused on and achieve their wide-ranging and important social missions.” Director of Business Development – Matthew Pedroni Independent Sector Washington, DC
“121Giving is a much needed solution for charities across the country, looking to engage online donors in a more tangible way by helping nonprofits streamline donation drives and removing inefficiencies and inherent wastage in the in-kind giving process. It's exciting to see such innovation from a company dedicated to supporting the nonprofit sector.”
Executive Director and Co-Founder - Ritu Sharma Social Media for Nonprofits San Francisco, CA
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 9
What is 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving)? 121Giving is an online crowdfunding platform that makes giving tangible by connecting donors, nonprofits and suppliers who collectively want to change lives. 121Giving harnesses the collecting buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. charities, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities. The 121Giving solution makes needs awareness, donating and product procurement/fund-raising more transparent, simple and profitable. What problems does 121Giving solve for charities and non-profits? For charities, 121Giving is a powerful new tool providing free access to an online marketplace that offers consistently discounted goods for their daily operational and organizational needs. By spending less time tracking down discounts and deals, charities can instead focus their energy and resources on the causes they care about. In addition, they can publicize their crowdfunding requests from a central platform, procure necessary goods and have them shipped directly. What problems does 121Giving solve for corporate partners and brands? Participation by corporations and brands enhances overall brand value and increases the exposure and transparency of their charitable efforts. 121Giving is an exclusive sales channel to a high-demand segment of buyers. Brands can offer their products at discounts to charities that need them, with the flexibility to help local charities in specific regions (e.g., a natural disaster location). The crowdfunding feature offers visibility into the brand’s in and commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, so that customers and donors can track and see the impact of the brand’s/corporation’s efforts and publicity about their efforts. What problems does 121Giving solve for consumers? 121Giving makes giving tangible for donors. Consumers can discover the community needs and causes that resonate with them, and they can donate to specific product-based campaigns and advocate for the causes, programs and ideas they care about. Donation dollars are accrued as store credit, to be used by charities to purchase products they need. 121Giving also maps the results and impact of corporate giving programs, offering consumers insights into companies’ and brands’ involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and fund-raising. Consumers can refer to the infographics and information featured at 121Giving to make informed decisions about which brands and charities to support and trust. Does 100% of the consumer donation go to charity? Yes. One hundred percent (100%) of the consumer donation goes to helping charities purchase the products they need. How does 121Giving make money? Operations are sustained by charging suppliers an affiliate fee on the sale of each product, similar to many eCommerce sites. The company also charges a fee on each crowdfunding campaign, a cost that is paid for by donor dollars. How are non-profits able to take advantage of corporate discounts? 121Giving uses eBay’s proprietary eCommerce engine as a platform in which brands and retailers offer exclusive discounts to charities, while consumers can support specific nonprofit needs through crowdfunding. What kinds of products will be available for non-profits at 121Giving.com? Products can include (but are not limited to): office and educational supplies, building materials, school supplies, health and medical supplies, paper products, clothing, personal hygiene supplies, cleaning and beauty products, computers, furniture, non-perishable goods, pet supplies and more.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 10
Once money is raised, where does it go? Nonprofits use the money to support the causes, initiatives, services and people that they serve and that consumers care about. Who founded 121Giving? The company is the brainchild of Mark Courtney and Liz Deering, entrepreneurs in Austin, TX, whose backgrounds encompass interactive technologies, enterprise platforms, marketing and non-profits. How can a charity, brand, corporation or consumer get involved at 121Giving.com? Visit the 121Giving website (www.121giving.com) for more information. Charities can register for free. ABOUT 121GIVING: 121Giving (pronounced One-to-One Giving) is a digital marketplace that harnesses the collective buying power of hundreds of thousands of U.S. charities, matching their needs with corporate discounts and new crowdfunding capabilities. 121Giving.com has turned eBay’s proprietary eCommerce engine into a new platform in which brands and retailers offer exclusive discounts to charities while consumers can support specific nonprofit needs through crowdfunding. 121Giving provides corporations with a sustainable, long-term philanthropic solution that enhances the value and impact of their social responsibility efforts. Companies which sell through 121Giving.com will find the approach more measureable and revenue-positive than traditional corporate social responsibility initiatives. For 501c3 organizations, 121 offers an exclusive, consistent supply of discounted goods and a free tangible crowdfunding platform. For consumers, 121 is a central location to discover the needs they care about and give to them, with the assurance that their donations are used to fund much needed products.
TALK WITH US ABOUT:
CSR market trends: How companies can profit from doing good and how CSR can be made measurable
Consumer engagement: Why consumers (especially Millennials) will purchase more from and be loyal to socially conscious, transparent companies
Crowdfunding & eCommerce tools, trends: How technology (like ours!) is disrupting the business model of giving
Social good, entrepreneurship
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH: Want to learn more about the direct business impact that CSR can have on a company? Or how brands can generate a return on investment for their cause-related initiatives by developing stronger systems to communicate, measure, and influence stakeholder behaviors through CSR? VISIT US AT: www.121giving.com or call us at 512-814-6551.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 11
CONNECT WITH US ON:
Facebook Twitter Email 121Giving @121giving [email protected] MEDIA INQUIRIES: To schedule an interview with 121Giving, please contact: Vanessa Horwell of ThinkInk at [email protected] or 305-749-5342 x 232.
121Giving | Media Kit | March 2015 Page | 12 Type equation here.
