You may have noticed a great deal popping up on your social networks recently: “Win $100 to Woodberry Kitchen by liking our Facebook page!” This marketing tagline is part of an aggressive marketing strategy that local startup GiveCorps has put out to start building their base of users.
(Full disclosure: I was one of these lucky winners last week and not only received $100 to Woodberry, but GiveCorps also donated $100 to a nonprofit of my choice.)
In a time of “deal-a-day” websites, GiveCorps’ mission is to market a “cause-a-day” to focus a lot of local interest and support from a new generation of philanthropists. The site allows you to give to a daily local nonprofit project and — in addition to feeling good about your charitable contribution — GiveCorps rewards donors with deals and discounts from local merchants. GiveCorps seeks to raise more than $5 million a year for nonprofits in each city by highlighting compelling local projects that inspire people to give and make a difference in their cities.
GiveCorps uses the power of crowdfunding to raise money for local causes on a city-by-city basis. Donors can give anywhere from $10 to $10 million, with a suggested donation of about $25. Small donations from lots of givers can add up to a big difference for nonprofits who need funding.
The company is located in the newly renovated Millers Court building on North Howard Street and is led by founders Jamie McDonald and Beth Falcone. The pair reaches out to local nonprofits and merchants to set up the donations and deals, and the rest of their team — about 10 employees — has been working to get the website ready for the official launch.
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Good news, GiveCorps has launched today!
Their website will begin to feature six projects a week, Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, GiveCorps will recap the previous week’s projects, deals and donations. The first featured project at launch today is for Wide Angle Youth Media, a local nonprofit that provides youth with opportunities to tell their own stories using video technology, public speaking and critical thinking skills.
“To ensure success we need to make sure we can scale quickly,” says CEO Jamie McDonald. “We’d like to see Baltimore take off so that we can expand to Philly in the fall.”
One of my favorite features is the ability for each user to have their own dashboard or “GiveVault” that safely secures receipts of your donation history. This makes it painless to report your donations when tax season rolls around.
GiveCorps plans to push the daily projects through email blasts and social media outreach, part of a plan to attract new, younger donors.
Join GiveCorps today at http://GiveCorps.com and Give Locally.
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