Oxfam America Launches New Non-Profit Technology with The Network Companies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                Contact: Mike Jaconi
Friday, August 29, 2008                                                                                                                                                (202) 552-5835

The Network Companies LLC announced the launch of the new Oxfam America Fundraising Toolbar and Facebook Application.  These applications, developed by The Network Companies and FreeCause, Inc., will serve as fundraising and engagement tools for Oxfam America.  The toolbar, which launched Wednesday, may be downloaded from Oxfam America’s website: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/toolbar, and the Facebook Application may be visited by going to: http://apps.facebook.com/endglobalpoverty.  John Weaver, Senior Partner at The Network, said, “We are excited to launch these powerful applications with an organization as well-respected and far-reaching as Oxfam America.  The organization’s support spans all demographics across America, and these new fundraising and engagement tools provide every Oxfam America supporter the opportunity to contribute much-needed funds without opening their wallet.”

The toolbar raises money every time an Oxfam America supporter searches the Internet through the Yahoo! powered search feed.  Additionally, whenever supporters make a purchase at one of hundreds of participating e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and eBay, a percentage of the sale amount is contributed to the organization. “The toolbar software serves as a digital change jar – providing organizations like Oxfam America a new way to raise needed dollars by monetizing users’ every day activities.” Weaver said. 

The toolbar is also a powerful communications tool, providing an always-on connection between the organization and each of its members.  The toolbar’s communication features include auto-updatable RSS and news feeds, links to pages on Oxfam America’s website, all the components offered by the Google and Yahoo! toolbars such as the weather and email checker, and the most powerful feature – the messaging component.  Through the messaging component, Oxfam America is able to segment messaging based on demographic data – providing a powerful tool for micro-targeting and broadcasting key messages and user-specific calls to action.

Facebook and other social network applications, like Oxfam America’s End Global Poverty Application, are fast becoming the most efficient way for organizations to identify new constituents and grow their membership base online.  Other current clients include the American Lung Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  “The fusion of the toolbar and social network applications is a revolutionary new frontier in affinity marketing,” Weaver said, “and The Network and FreeCause have developed a time-tested and results-driven method of delivering success for our clients.”

The Network Companies LLC, a multi-service firm offering public affairs and crisis management, political consulting, and affinity, online, and direct marketing is based in Washington, DC.  The Network has the exclusive rights to all domestic and international political clients of the FreeCause toolbar software.  FreeCause, Inc. is a software and technology development firm based in Boston, MA.

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