Press Advisory
INSIDER PAGES OFFERS RECESSION-PROOF FUNDRAISERS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CHARITIES HIT HARD BY ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
Members and Supporters Raise Money by Writing Online Reviews Instead of Writing Checks
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - (November 11, 2008) - Insider Pages™ (www.insiderpages.com), a subsidiary of Citysearch, operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI), announced it is expanding the availability of its free online Fundraiser program to help community groups and other non-profit organizations meet their fundraising needs during this economic downturn. With the weakening economy and charitable donations in decline, it is now more difficult than ever for groups dependent on fundraising to meet their goals. Insider Pages Fundraisers provide groups a way to raise money quickly, without having to sell candy bars or magazines in a slumping economy, and without having to ask supporters to dig deeper into their wallets.
The Insider Pages Fundraiser program enables local community groups, schools, PTAs, booster clubs and other non-profit organizations to raise money by writing online reviews of local businesses they recommend. Instead of requesting donations, the groups ask their members and supporters to write reviews on Insider Pages of local businesses they use and like, such as doctors, dentists, home contractors, mechanics, and hair stylists. For each review written, Insider Pages makes a donation directly to their organization. The typical Fundraiser lasts three weeks and can raise anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the number of supporters in the group.
"Local community groups and non-profits are being hit doubly hard by this downturn," said Eric Peacock, General Manager, Insider Pages. "Budgets and donations are being slashed, but demand for the vital services these organizations provide in the community is increasing. Insider Pages Fundraisers gives them a way to raise money quickly by asking their supporters to contribute by writing reviews instead of writing checks."
"It was really easy to get our supporters to participate in the Insider Pages Fundraiser, "said Kim Shadek, President of It's My Heart, a support group for those affected by Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). "Writing the reviews was a lot of fun and it was far easier than asking people to make donations or buy something. Compared to those fundraisers, this was a no brainer. We would highly recommend an Insider Pages fundraiser to any organization."
The program has already helped hundreds of organizations raise money. Whether it's a school or PTA raising money for new computers, a soccer team raising travel expenses to reach a tournament, an animal rescue group raising money for veterinary bills, or a local community group raising money to sustain their programs, Insider Pages makes it easy to get started. This self-service program has three simple steps:
- Sign Up - Start at www.insiderpages.com/fundraising/get_started by providing the organization's information and establishing a goal and start date. Insider Pages will then email the organizer back with all the information to get started.
- Write Reviews - Group members write reviews of their favorite local businesses, from work or home, day or night, at their convenience any time during the fundraiser. Groups can even create teams within the Fundraiser to generate healthy competition or to raise money by classroom or team.
- Cash Check - An up-to-the minute status page tracks the group's fundraising progress and keeps score of all participants' reviews. Upon completion, Insider Pages sends a check directly to the organization.
Groups typically raise thousands of dollars in just three weeks without having to sell or solicit donations from their members. Insider Pages adds thousands of these first-hand reviews of local businesses to its web site every month, making it a more useful source of information for anyone seeking a word-of-mouth referral. For additional information on Insider Pages Fundraisers, visit: http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraising/get_started.
About Insider Pages
Insider Pages™ (www.insiderpages.com) is a place where people go to read and post reviews of local businesses and services. The company was built on the idea that the best way to find a local business is to ask someone you trust. Insider Pages has over 1 million customer-written reviews of local businesses and industry-leading coverage in services relevant to parents and homeowners such as doctors, dentists, hairstylists, plumbers, contractors, insurance agents and much more. Users connect to friends, family, colleagues and like-minded individuals on the site in order to share recommendations (or warnings) of the businesses they use. Insider Pages is a subsidiary of Citysearch (an IAC operating company) and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Contact
Nicole Myden
Citysearch
310.360.4415
Nicole.Myden@citysearch.com