6 posts tagged “we-care.com”
The Washington Times put us right along side Bono, in its December 10, 2008, article Random Acts: Web Purchases Fight Poverty.
Another online Web site hoping to stir up shoppers' altruism is We-Care.com, made up of more than 650 retailers that offer discounts and coupons for a variety of items on gift lists, thereby saving the shopper money. At the same time, each retailer specifies what percentage of the purchases made can go to a nonprofit, school or association of the shopper's choice. "Shopping responsibly means giving back to the community" while engaged in some pleasant activity, the site notes.
Hey Everyone. I'm on Inside Mac Radio this afternoon. They're interviewing me at 1:09 PT/4:09 ET. You can listen live or download the podcast. It's only 11 minutes long, so take a Bill Break this afternoon.
Update: Turns out the term "live" is being used loosely. The interview doesn't air until 12/13 -- though it will probably hit iTunes sooner.
We-Care.com was mentioned in a NY Post article on charitable giving and holiday gifts!
"'CAUSE'" AND EFFECT: Companies Hope Charitable Gifts Fill the Stockings"
Great news. We-Care.com made USA Today's Technology Live Blog!
Today is the official start of the holiday shopping season. Are you planning on doing any shopping today? What are you going to buy?
OK. I'm not exactly answering the question, but this is how I'm shopping this holiday season, so it seems approriate.
This holiday season, a lot of nonprofits are feeling the economic pinch -- as we all are. Since February, I've been working on We-Care.com, a painless way to support the organizations you care about while you shop online, and I wanted to make sure you were all aware of it.
We-Care.com is a simple model. If you click through our site before you shop online, a percentage of what you spend at more than 700 partner merchants can be donated to the nonprofit, school, or associaton of your choice. There's no extra cost to you, and you may even save money with special offers available from our site. All purchases are made straight from the merchant's site, so other than adding a couple of clicks, you're shopping as you normally do.
As those of you who follow my blog know, I moved back to NYC in February to start up this site. We put a lot of sleepless nights into it, and I think it shows. Our goal was to open up a new revenue stream for nonprofits while creating a great experience for our users. While I'm sure we'll always be making improvements, I think we've done a great job.
The first time you go to We-Care.com, you choose the organization you want to support. Then you search for the stores or coupons you're looking for, click through to the merchant's site, and shop as you always do. A percentage of what you spend is automatically donated.
We don't want you to buy anything you weren't already planning on, but we do hope you'll add a couple of extra clicks to support a cause you believe in. If you don't see the organization you support already in our database, you can add them and start raising money immediately.
If you're afraid you'll forget to click through We-Care.com, you can install our browser plug-in. If you install the plug-in and visit any of our participating merchants, a dialogue box will remind you to make your purchase count. We've also just added We-Care.com's Shop & Give Gadget, which allows you to shop as a team. You can start a team from our site, and post it on your Vox blog, Facebook and MySpace profiles, and pretty much anywhere else you'd like People join your team when they click on your Gadget to shop or copy it to their blogs and profiles. The Gadget displays how much the team has raised, so when friends add it and thier friends add it, you're team keeps growing and your cause benefits. Both the plug-in and the Gadget are available from our Downloads page.
So, I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season. And, as you're doing your shopping, please think about the small ways, like We-Care.com, that you can help the organization that strenghten our communities. It's tough times all around, and this is one way to make your holiday dollars do a little bit more. And please spread the word!
Happy Holidays Everyone.
Bill
I have been a bad Vox neighbor. In the eight months I've lived in Brooklyn -- has it been eight months already -- I have barely blogged, rarely read others' blogs, and rarely commented. Truthfully, I've rarely logged in. I've thought about it. I've ridden the train home with great posts running through my head only to eat and pass out from exhaustion. I've missed blogging, and promise to put more effort into this little corner of the internet. And I've missed hearing from all of you.
So, here's the past eight months in a nut shell:
• February 1: Land in Newark, and stay with my dad while I apartment hunt.
• February 2: Go to my second cousin's bat mitzvah.
• February 3: Watch the Giants win the Superbowl!!!!!!
• February 4: Find my apartment on my second day of looking, and sign a lease on a one bedroom with a price tag that would be considered obscene elsewhere, but is a bargain here.
• Went in for the first of two MRI's which never should have been prescribed, but did freak me out.
• February 15: Move into my apartment, and begin the insane task of furnishing it, including two stressful trips to IKEA -- a special form of hell.
• February 18 — Start my new job as General Manager of We-Care.com, a startup company.
• Start a whirlwind romance that crashed in 3 weeks (or was it 2?).
• Realized how fucking expensive NYC is. Really. I thought I knew, but it took some adjusting.
• Realized that my Start Up's product was not ready for prime time, as previously believed.
• March - July — Rebranded, re-architected, redesigned, rebuilt, and relaunched We-Care.com.
• August 1: We-Care.com is live. Shortly after, I take a much needed vacation, but really don't relax because I can't stop thinking about work.
• Realized what Start Up meant: lack of sleep, stress, uncertainty, and the need to do a whole lot with very little. Gratefully, I had a great staff (of two), amazing interns, and very supportive owners.
• March — Remembered that years of living away from here allowed me to forget what a difficult place NYC is to live — that's difficult as in realizing your 45 minute commute is only 4 miles.
• Found a therapist.
• Summer — Went on too many dates with too many rude, ill behaved women. Seriously, there are stories I could tell. (I also went on dates with some very nice women.) Began to wonder why I was spending large amounts of money on rude women, and decided I needed a break from dating.
• Labor Day Weekend: Finally finish decorating my apartment, so it looks like a home instead of a crash pad.
• September 20 — Go to Bob (my brother) and Mandi's wedding. It was possibly the nicesest wedding I've ever been to, and I've never seen my brother — the brother who said he'd never get married — this happy.
• Late September: Watched the economy crumble.
In all, I left 19 years of life in Minneapolis behind, and with it, 19 years of friendships, and all the places that felt familiar. I left a stable dead-end job for an uncertain one with lots of possiblities. I've learned what it's like to be lonely in a new place, and what it's like to slowly -- and it is slow -- build new relationships. I've become jaded about dating, worried about money, and very tired. I've revisioned and rebuilt a web product from the ground up in less than five months, with only two employees, two interns, and three contractors — and I'm damn proud of that (and the people who worked with me). And, I've learned that being close to my family is good and bad, but mostly good. (And I'd say "mostly good" even if I didn't know my dad read my blog.)
It will probably be two years before I can look back and say whether I'm glad I moved back here. But there is one thing I'm sure of: Not moving here would have always left me wondering.
Now, if anyone knows any single women in this area, roughly between 36-44, who don't want to be single, and aren't rude, inconsiderate, or blatently offensive, do let me know. ;-)
