Tons of sites are putting a do-gooder spin on the Groupon model.
A few months ago I wrote about G-Team, the cause-based, collective action website that eventually sparked Groupon. Groupon is no longer running solo with LivingSocial, Google Offers, and Facebook’s Deals, amongst many others, now competing in the local, social deal business.
The huge success of these platforms has also caught the eye of some new startups that see the potential to use this model to support the work of nonprofit organizations. Here are just a few of them:
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goodtwo: Nonprofits can create a page, pick a deal, and then share with their constituents through tools that the company provides for social media and email promotion. About 25% of each sale goes to the nonprofit, so it’s a unique, fun fundraising opportunity that puts a modern twist on the old bake sale and wrapping paper model.
- Philanthroper: They say they’re another daily deal site, but instead of selling something, they’re sharing the story of a new nonprofit every day. If you identify with the story, you can donate a $1 to the organization to help fund it’s work. It’s a great way to disconnect from that shop ‘til you drop mentality, and connect with new nonprofits that need your support to scale their model.
- CAUSEON, The Daily Hookup, and so many others. CAUSEON sends 20% of each daily deal sale to local community causes, while The Daily Hookup pitches deals relevant to the gay community, then sends 5% of each sale to local 501(c)(3)s that support LGBT organizations.
There are hundreds of daily deal sites now (DonorBuy.com just joined our site, for example), so it’s great to see some of these companies trying to differentiate themselves from the competition by pursuing models that benefit the nonprofit sector.
Know of any others I didn’t mention here? Ever snagged a particularly awesome deal? Shout it out in a comment below.