System and method for raising funds and establishing user affinity over a distributed network

• US 20020049816A1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Breckenridge Wilson Kling, Jackson W. Barber, William Gilmore Iv Costin
• Original Assignee: Breckenridge Wilson Kling, Jackson W. Barber, William Gilmore Iv Costin
• Inventors: Costin, William Gilmore IV, Barber, Jackson W., Kling, Breckenridge Wilson
• Application Number:
  US09/816,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A fundraising system and method that allows users to raise money from friends and other entities over a distributed network, such as the Internet, is presented. The present invention provides online marketing applications for e-businesses by using the power of viral marketing to enable clients to attract new customers at a lower cost, and build brand loyalty. For example, the fundraising system of the present invention enables e-businesses to partner with causes, such as charitable, non-profit and community organizations, to host fundraising events online with interactive participation by all involved. For example, an e-mail networking component may enable fund-raisers to send out an infinite amount of requests supporting the cause they care about. Thus, for every fund-raiser, the host e-business gets a new flow of visitors to their site.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a business entity to raise funds and awareness for a fundraising entity over a distributed network, comprising the steps of:

enabling the business entity to identify at least one fundraising entity;

hosting one or more fundraising events associated with the fundraising entity; and

providing interactive participation between at least one user and the fundraising entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed network comprises an email network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of hosting one or more fundraising events further comprises a step of sending at least one request for support for the fundraising entity through electronic messages to one or more identified recipients.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of hosting one or more fundraising events further comprises a step of providing at least one promotional message on a user interface associated with the business entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing interactive participation further comprises a step of providing at least one incentive to motivate the at least one user to contribute to the fundraising entity.