Philanthropy management apparatus, system, and methods of use and doing business

• US 7,448,534 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Newdea, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Newdea, Inc.
• Inventors: Clark, Stephen P., Emrich, Jeffrey M., Stremler, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US11/624,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/385, 235/376, 705/27, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A philanthropic donation management system and methods of use and doing business. The system includes a computing server in communication with a communications network, such as the Internet, a LAN, or a WAN. The computing server maintains information about charitable projects and provides remote users and others with management tools for inputting information about charitable projects, pre-approving or otherwise assessing them, and accessing and managing charitable project information, portfolios, user team member information and access. The system can provide a business based on, for example, providing system, access, charitable fund management, and charitable donation transaction fees.

Claims

1. A method of providing remote users with charitable project assessment information from a charitable organization, the method including the steps of:

A. maintaining at least one charitable project computing system in communication with a computer network;

B. through the project computing system, allowing project assessment users of the project computing system to (i) use the project computing system over the computer network to assess a plurality of charitable projects from the charitable organization and (ii) enter project assessment information regarding the plurality of charitable projects into the charitable project computing system;

C. through the project computing system, allowing a plurality of remote computer users to log in to the charitable project computing system through the computer network and thereby access the project assessment information;

D. receiving a donation for at least one of the plurality of charitable projects, the donation being received through the charitable project computing system from at least one remote computer user in the plurality of remote computer users.

2. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the assessment information comprises financial information regarding the plurality of charitable projects.

3. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the assessment information comprises management information regarding the plurality of charitable projects.

4. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the assessment information comprises project goal information regarding the plurality of charitable projects.

5. The charitable project assessment method of claim 4 further comprising searching the project assessment information based at least in part on the project goal information.

6. The charitable project assessment method of claim 4 wherein the project goal information comprises at least one of:

geographic giving goals, project type goals, or acceptable level of risk.

7. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the assessment information comprises project geographical location information regarding the plurality of charitable projects.

8. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the assessment information comprises project approval information regarding the plurality of charitable projects.

9. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the method also includes charging a fee in connection with performing at least a portion of the method.

10. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

11. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the computer network comprises a local area network.

12. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein the computer network comprises a wide area network.

13. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein assessing a plurality of potential charitable projects further comprises searching the project assessment information.

14. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 wherein allowing a plurality of remote computer users to log in to the charitable project computing system through the computer network and thereby access the project assessment information further comprises restricting access of at least one computer user to at least one charitable project.

15. The charitable project assessment method of claim 1 further comprising for at least one remote computer user, storing a list of potential charitable projects as a portfolio.