BuyWithCause.com Launches a Different Approach to Charity Malls

WASHINGTON, DC—(December 24, 2004) - Stemming from the belief that charity can be made easy and beneficial for everyone, BuyWithCause.com launched their initial Charity Mall December 1, 2004.

Don't know what a Charity Mall is? Charity Malls allow people to support charity while shopping online. Basically, for referring you to a shopping site, charity malls receive a sales commission, which generally ranges from 1% to 30% of your purchase, depending on the merchant. The charity malls then pass on a portion of this sales commission to the charity you choose, therefore not costing you anything extra.

Similar to traditional Charity Malls, BuyWithCause.com operates using the same model described above. However, they attempt to "fix" some inherent problems with associated with current Charity Malls. One of these problems includes the need to log in to the website to make purchases. "If most people had a choice to either log on a website and then go to Amazon.com, or go to Amazon.com directly, they are most likely to choose the latter," says BuyWithCause.com founder Kwok Cheng. The "logging on" is a way for some Charity Malls to identify you and the cause that you have chosen to support. Unfortunately, many web surfers frown at the sight of entering in a user name and password. BuyWithCause.com is designed so that users never have to log in, but are still able to support a cause.

Another distinct feature of this website is how it supports causes. Traditional Charity Malls require the user to choose a specific charity/organization before proceeding to the "shopping mall." While this is beneficial to those who ardently support specific charities, with over 250,000 non-profits in the U.S., it can be quite involved for those who do not. BuyWithCause.com has set up generic categories of causes (i.e. Disaster Relief, Homelessness, Cancer Prevention, etc.) so users can support causes, not specific charities. All the user needs to do is select a cause and then start shopping. The specific organization(s) that benefit are impartially worked out on the company end. This allows larger donation amounts to be made, rather than many tiny dispersions that will have little or no benefit to a charity.

Don't want to choose a cause? No problem. BuyWithCause.com features a "Cause of Month," which is generally themed to the appropriate month (i.e. Toys for Tots in December). If the user chooses not to select a cause, the Cause of the Month automatically becomes the beneficiary.

"The driving force behind BuyWithCause.com is simplicity, ease, and seamless integration of philanthropy," says Kwok. The website was designed to minimize clicking and searching- the user could perform a single click to start shopping if they wanted. "I don't think many people will mind an extra click to support charity. More than three clicks on any website and I would start getting annoyed."

Some of the most popular stores are featured in BuyWithCause.com's mall, including Amazon, Buy.com, Overstock, Barnes and Noble, Drugstore.com, Old Navy, and PETsMART. In addition, all visitors will enjoy the benefits of merchant coupon codes and promotions that the site lists for free. The website operates somewhere between an Online Mall and a Charity Mall.

Everybody wins. Hopefully, this unique approach appeals to internet shoppers. My goal is seamlessly integrate philanthropy into the lives of all of us."

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About BuyWithCause.com

BuyWithCause.com employs a unique approach to on-line shopping and charitable giving. The site allows users to support great causes while saving money when shopping online. BuyWithCause.com is a privately held e-commerce company based out of Washington, D.C.. For more information, please visit http://www.buywithcause.com.