GIVE IT AWAY

Impact Engine – Part 5

John Jonelis

Verbatim transcript from a special correspondent

Loop Lonagan back at Impact Engine Investors Day. The Chase auditorium’s packed with angel investors and venture capitalists AND philanthropists that’d rather invest in self-sustaining ventures than just dump their money down the old rat hole.

Shayan Nahrvar of Raise5 at Impact Engine

Y’know it ain’t easy fer these companies to get this far. Most startups just grub fer money. But these guys gotta make money BY DOIN’ GOOD. And these is da ones Impact Engine picked to do the job. Let’s sit back and talk about one o’ dem.

Do what you love to support the causes you care about

Raise5 founder, Shayan Nahvar, (pronounced SHI-an nah-VARR) is a real likable and well-spoken young man.

Shayan Nahvar of Raise5

No sooner does he start his pitch than up pops a video. And whoa–it’s Richard Branson! Richard Branson is pitching Raise5!

I didn’t see no celebrity endorsements at FFF this morning, but these guys at Impact Engine pulled it off. Makes me feel like they can pull off most anything.

This’s a whole new crowdsourced fundraising channel fer charities. Raise5 turns yer ordinary purchases into donations. AND they do it cheap. NGOs spend 35 cents on every dollar they raise–just to raise that dollar. That don’t make no sense to me. Raise5 can bring that down to somewhere in the 8-15 cent range ‘n’ make a profit doin’ it! That’s self-sustaining.

I can hear summa you Scrooges in da back grumblin’ and groanin’ about what da hell’s da purpose o’ just givin’ it away. Hey, lotsa companies wanna give back. And lotsa regular folks too. And this ain’t just fer Microsoft ‘n’ them guys. Artists and all kindsa folks can get in on the action. And the secret of it is this: It’s not just da charity that benefits. It’s the giver, as you’ll see:

Say you wanna support The Nellie Thursday Home For Old Dolls—a legitamate charity. Maybe you got a garage band that does a revival act of an old group like The Monkeys or somethin’–one o’ them that’s better to ferget. Maybe you know a few more bands that ape awful old acts. Hey–all together it could be a great show! So youse guys put together a concert and have a whale of a good time while you raise money fer Nellie. Here’s how it works:

How to become a freelance fundraiser:

Ya slide on over to the Raise5 site
Ya plug in yer service or product.
Ya set yer price and da charity that gets da proceeds

That’s it! Raise5 does the rest. Whadaya waitin’ fer?

Here’s a real example: Look at dis screenshot detail. Adam is willin’ to blast yer weblink to his 20,000 Twitter followers fer five lousy bucks. The money goes to da WSPA t’ help dem furry creatures. John’s gonna foam at the mouth when he sees dis ’cause he’s tryin’ t’ promote his new novel ‘n’ dis is the way to do it.

Here’s another offer: Fer a measley five bucks, you can get a great caracature like dis one. Money goes to Doctors Without Borders. How can you lose?

Dis is a win/win/win setup:

Charities get a new way to raise funds.
Individuals ‘n’ companies get a new way to create impact ‘n’ social change.
Customers get to buy something great, knowing their money’ll make a difference.

Check out dis COOL VIDEO:

Da Business

Hey, there’s 1.6 million not-fer-profits in the good ol’ US of A just waiting t’ be served and 4000 right here in Chi-town. Raise5 takes a transaction fee from every sale, so the more money they make the more impact they have. What more do I need to say?

CONTINUE TO PART 6

Go back to Part 1

Da Contacts

Raise5 – raise5.com

3234 North Richmond Street,

Chicago, Illinois, 60618

Crain’s Chicago Business covered this event and ran a nice article: www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121206/BLOGS06/121209884

Impact Engine – www.TheImpactEngine.com

Contact Linda Darragh – L-Darragh@Kellogg.Northwestern.edu

Images courtesy of Raise5 and Impact Engine

Whadaya Think?

You’re invited t’ leave yer opinion. No, you don’t hafta leave yer name or email or nothin’. Just be polite. And keep it clean. Click the COMMENTS command at da bottom.

Chicago Venture Magazine is a publication of Nathaniel Press www.ChicagoVentureMagazine.com Comments and re-posts in full or in part are welcomed and encouraged if accompanied by attribution and a web link . This is not investment advice. We do not guarantee accuracy. It’s not our fault if you lose money.

.
.