A new Internet marketing company named CommunityReach will offer long
distance
phone service at 10 cents per minute 24 hours a day, with a commitment to
donate at least 5% of its revenues to nonprofit organizations that its
customers choose.
CommunityReach in Bethesda, MD will be led by Mark Shriver, a former executive
with Qwest Communications. To join CommunityReach’s program, customers fill
out secure subscription forms online at communityreach.com.
By donating at least 5% of monthly long distance charges, CommunityReach
provides a simple way for its customers to contribute to their favorite
nonprofit organization. For example, customers spending $35 per month in long
distance calling will contribute over $20 to the charity of their choice over
the course of a year–automatically, without having to make a separate
donation, the company said.
“Unlike the major long distance companies that spend hundreds of
millions of dollars on advertising, CommunityReach uses the power of the Web
to keep operating and marketing costs down,” said Shriver. “This approach
enables us to share
a percentage of revenues with the nonprofits. . . ”
“CommunityReach is a for-profit business with a nonprofit focus,” said
Shriver. “The concept driving our business plan is that businesses can do well
by doing good.”
CommunityReach has negotiated an arrangement with UniDial Communications to
provide long distance service at a rate of 10 cents per minute, 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, with a monthly fee of $1.50. All nonprofit
organizations that are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as
nonprofits are eligible to receive donations from the CommunityReach program.