ENABLING A SELECTABLE CHARITABLE DONATION AS AN INCENTIVE FOR A CUSTOMER TRANSACTION

• US 20070244810A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Altruism In Action LLC
• Original Assignee: Altruism In Action LLC
• Inventors: Rudolph, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US11/692,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Enabling a user to identify a charitable entity to receive a donation and identify an amount of the donation to be provided for the successful performance of a transaction that provides a benefit to at least one third party. The user can select the charitable entity from a list of one or more entities provided by the third party, or provide information for a new/unlisted charitable entity. Furthermore, the amount of the donation can be increased by dynamic or static bidding by at least one third party that seeks to provide a further incentive for the successful completion of the transaction for the benefit of at least that third party. The user can operate as the third party that both benefits from the transaction and also provides the donation to the charitable entity. Also, the user can perform the beneficial transaction as a customer of the third party when the third party provides the donation to the charitable entity. Further, a ranking for the charitable donations can be provided to at least the customer that successfully completes the transaction.

Claims

1. A method for causing a charitable donation to be provided, comprising:

enabling a customer to identify a transaction to be performed at a particular locale during a time frame, wherein the performance of the transaction is a benefit to at least one of a plurality of third parties that is enabled to handle the transaction;

enabling the customer to identify a charitable entity and an amount of the donation to be provided to the charitable entity in response to the completion of the transaction; and

enabling the customer to select at least one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction, wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of third parties provides the donation to the identified charitable entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the plurality of third parties to bid up the amount of the donation to the charitable entity, wherein the one of the plurality of third parties with the highest bid is identified for selection as the one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bidding up of the amount of the donation is one of a static bid or a dynamic bid by at least one of the plurality of third parties.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a ranking of at least one of the customer, charitable entity, amount of the donation, or third party that is selected to complete the transaction with the customer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a coupon for the customer to complete the transaction, wherein the coupon includes at least one of a location for the transaction to occur;

at least one third party that is available to perform the transaction with the customer, an identifier for one or more charitable entities and the amount of the donation to be provided to the one or more charitable entities in response to completion of the transaction, the cost of the transaction to the customer, a discount in the cost of the transaction to be provided to the customer, or a time frame for the transaction to be performed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the donation is at least one of money, credit, service, product, subscription, event ticket, coupon, or presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the charitable entity includes at least one of a religious organization, political organization, arts organization, social services organization, relief organization, foreign aid organization, health care organization, or individual.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is at least one of a purchase, lease, survey, questionnaire, presentation, demonstration, attendance at an event, or a vote for at least one of an individual, organization, product, service, or subscription.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the method to be implemented with a plurality of executable data stored on a processor readable media.

10. A system for causing a charitable donation to be provided, comprising:

a server that includes;

a memory for storing processor executable data; and

a processor for executing the stored data to enable actions, including;

enabling a customer to identify a transaction to be performed at a particular locale during a time frame, wherein the performance of the transaction is a benefit to at least one of a plurality of third parties that is enabled to handle the transaction;

enabling the customer to identify a charitable entity and an amount of the donation to be provided to the charitable entity in response to the completion of the transaction; and

enabling the customer to select at least one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction, wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of third parties provides the donation to the identified charitable entity; and

a client for enabling the customer to interact with the server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise enabling the plurality of third parties to bid up the amount of the donation to the charitable entity, wherein the one of the plurality of third parties with the highest bid is identified for selection as the one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the bidding up of the amount of the donation is one of a static bid or a dynamic bid by at least one of the plurality of third parties.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise providing a ranking of at least one of the customer, charitable entity, amount of the donation, or third party that is selected to complete the transaction with the customer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the actions further comprise providing a coupon for the customer to complete the transaction, wherein the coupon includes at least one of a location for the transaction to occur, at least one third party that is available to perform the transaction with the customer, an identifier for one or more charitable entities and the amount of the donation to be provided to the one or more charitable entities in response to completion of the transaction, the cost of the transaction to the customer, a discount in the cost of the transaction to be provided to the customer, or a time frame for the transaction to be performed.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the donation is at least one of money, credit, service, product, subscription, event ticket, coupon, or presentation.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the charitable entity includes at least one of a religious organization, political organization, arts organization, social services organization, relief organization, foreign aid organization, health care organization, or individual.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the transaction is at least one of a purchase, lease, survey, questionnaire, presentation, demonstration, attendance at an event, or a vote for at least one of an individual, organization, product, service, or subscription.

18. An apparatus for causing a charitable donation to be provided, comprising:

a memory for storing processor executable data; and

a processor for executing the stored data to enable actions, including;

enabling a customer to identify a transaction to be performed at a particular locale during a time frame, wherein the performance of the transaction is a benefit to at least one of a plurality of third parties that is enabled to handle the transaction;

enabling the customer to identify a charitable entity and an amount of the donation to be provided to the charitable entity in response to the completion of the transaction; and

enabling the customer to select at least one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction, wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of third parties provides the donation to the identified charitable entity.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the actions further comprise enabling the plurality of third parties to bid up the amount of the donation to the charitable entity, wherein the one of the plurality of third parties with the highest bid is identified for selection as the one of the plurality of third parties to handle the completion of the transaction.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is arranged as at least one of a network device, or a mobile device.