Pooling Online to Feed the Hungry

Portland-based FundingPool.com has announced the launch of its latest charitable initiative, The Giving Pool Project, which has in just over a week met its initial goal of providing 50,000 meals for hungry people this holiday season.

The project ultimately hopes to feed hundreds of thousands more and has plans to extend the program into the next year.

The Giving Pool Project was launched with the support of Sony, AltaVista, DoubleClick and other media partners that are promoting the campaign via email and banner advertising to their audiences.

The project’s corporate sponsor, Zthing.com, will donate $1.12 for each of first 50,000 visitors to The Giving Pool Project Website. Each $1.12 feeds one person during the holidays, and includes the costs of food, preparation, and overhead expenses. Site visitors can raise additional donations by selecting matching gift contributions from online affiliates, and are also encouraged to pass along a link to the site to friends, relatives and co-workers.

“The Internet is the new frontier for cause-related marketing,” says Jeff Hawthorne, Managing Director of fundingpool.com. “Businesses want to spend their advertising dollars in a way that can also do some good. We’ve brought together dozens of companies to help distribute a simple online message about how people can make a difference this holiday season. Internet users visit our site to trigger a contribution, companies receive advertising exposure, and our charitable partners receive much-needed funding for their programs. It’s great for everyone.”