Online shopping reward site easyfundraising.org.uk says it has raised more than £2m for good causes since it was launched.
The site, which works with more than 2,000 online retailers from Marks & Spencer and Boden to John Lewis and eBay, has raised £2.2m since 2005. It aims to raise another £1m in 2011 alone.
More than 150,000 unique visitors reach the site each month, where they can shop directly with retailers, donating an average of 5% of the total spend to the charity of their choice.
Gary Thompson, managing director of easyfundraising.org.uk, (pictured) said: “Our site turns shopping into donations for good causes. When a supporter shops with one of our partner retailers, as a reward for their loyalty a donation is paid to their chosen cause.
“Once the supporter clicks on the retailer logo from the easyfundraising site we then track their sales and pass on donations accordingly.
The site is used both by large charities and by schools, sports clubs, scout groups and other small good causes and is free to consumers.
Causes to benefit to date include Team Matty, started by the family of six-year-old Matthew Adams to raise money to pay for the intensive physiotherapy that he needs after become brain damaged by encephalitis he contracted at just six months old.
His aunt and chief fundraiser Steph Squires said: “By using easyfundraising we see funds rolling in, without us having to invest much more than a little of our own time, promoting to supporters via social networking sites such as Facebook.”
The Bluebell Railway, currently raising £2million to develop and expand the track from Sheffield to East Grinstead to connect the steam heritage railway to the national network, has raised money through the site over the last three years.
Its fundraising director Roger Kelly said: “Over the course of the last 12 months, we have seen a healthy influx of money raised through not only supporters shopping via easyfundraising but also from using the easysearch search engine tool [easysearch.org.uk]. The great thing about it is that I can track the amount being raised and presently we’re receiving in excess of £600 per quarter. It’s an important tool in our fundraising armoury.”
