Web Charity Network for Good Delivers $60 Million in Online Donations to Thousands of Nonprofits

More Americans Turning to the Internet for Charitable Giving; Record Numbers Give to Tsunami Relief Online

April 25, 2005, Washington DC — Network for Good, a website where individuals connect with the causes they care about most by donating to more than a million charities and choosing from tens of thousands of volunteer opportunities, announced today that it has processed more than $60 million in online donations to more than 15,000 different nonprofit organizations since its inception November, 2001. Network for Good's growing popularity as a vehicle for charitable giving is indicative of the ever-increasing role of the Internet in personal philanthropy.

Since January 2002, more than 250,000 unique donors and more than 175,000 volunteers have gone online to support charities through Network for Good. "The growth in both donors and the volume of donations we're seeing is in line with overall giving trends," said Bill Strathmann, CEO of Network for Good. Not surprisingly, Network for Good experienced record volume following the recent South Asia tsunami, processing $10 million in gifts to relief agencies in just two weeks. "Americans went online for news on the tsunami and then gave to charities right then and there when they were most compelled to give," said Strathmann. On December 31st alone, Network for Good processed $2.3 million in donations.

Convenience and efficiency have emerged as the main benefits of Internet giving, for both donors and nonprofits alike. Time-pressed donors are looking to websites like Network for Good for a streamlined way to learn about organizations and make a donation or choose a volunteer opportunity—all in one place. They also want to know donations are reaching reputable organizations as cost efficiently as possible, an outcome nonprofits want too. As one Network for Good donor explained, "Organizations like yours make it so easy to compare charitable organizations and to know what they actually do for beleaguered peoples, before making the decision to donate my money."

Network for Good's growing share of charitable giving by individuals is due in large part to the participation of thousands of nonprofits that use its tools for online giving and volunteer recruiting. Network for Good's results can also be attributed to its vast—and unprecedented—network of "partners for good", including its founders AOL, Cisco, and Yahoo!. "$60 million in donations is a tremendous accomplishment," said Meg Garlinghouse, Director of Community Affairs for Yahoo!, "Network for Good is a great example of how the Internet has become a central medium for philanthropy."

In the year ahead, Network for Good will continue to focus on products and services that accelerate the use of the Internet for philanthropy and decrease the costs of charitable giving. For nonprofits, Network for Good will roll out a set of new tools designed to enable them to more effectively cultivate their relationships with their supporters. Network for Good will also work closely with founding partners AOL, Yahoo! and other media and technology partners be more visible than ever in the consumer marketplace as a destination for online giving and volunteering.

About Network for Good

Network for Good (www.networkforgood.org) is the Internet's leading charitable resource, an easy-to-use website where individuals can connect with causes they care about by donating to more than one million nonprofit organizations and by choosing from among tens of thousands of volunteer opportunities. Network for Good also works directly with nonprofits to advance the adoption of the Internet as a tool for fundraising, volunteer recruitment and community engagement. Founded in 2001 by AOL, Cisco Systems and Yahoo!, Network for Good is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Contact: Katya Andresen (240) 482-3208