Fundraising system, method and device for charitable causes in a social network environment

• US 8,554,571 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Search and Social Media Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Search and Social Media Partners LLC
• Inventors: Harrison, Shelton E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/592,040
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A charitable organization or cause is verified. Once verified, the cause is selected so that a portion of the proceeds from certain transactions are shared with the cause. Integration of fundraising with a web browser toolbar that features real-time dollar counters, communication opportunities, news feeds/tickers, and user-ranking of an item'"'"'s popularity further enhances the fundraising'"'"'s appeal, especially in the context of a social network environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for supporting a charitable cause in a social network environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computer system, eligibility information pertaining to a first charitable cause;

receiving, at the first computer system, a cause selection;

determining, by a first computer, an amount of a charitable donation and initiating a sharing of the charitable donation, with said first charitable cause when;

(i) said first charitable cause meets an eligibility criterion and (ii) said cause selection comprises a selection of said first charitable cause;

receiving a first submission; and

determining a measurement of users'"'"' approval of or agreement with said first submission.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said eligibility criterion pertains to a tax-related status.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said tax-related status is a 501(C)(3) status wherein the measurement of users'"'"' approval is based at least in part on how many users approve of or agree with said first submission.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at least partly causing display of a graphical user interface via the client computer, wherein;

receiving the cause selection further comprises receiving said cause selection via said graphical user interface;

or wherein;

the charitable donation is at least partly transacted via said graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said graphical user interface includes a toolbar, said toolbar comprising at least one of a quantity indicator or a newsfeed hyperlink.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a newsfeed pertaining to the first charitable cause.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

at least partly causing display of a first advertisement, said first advertisement being related to a first keyword;

receiving payment for said first advertisement; and

receiving a first subscription, said subscription pertaining to said newsfeed.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing an indication, by way of the graphical user interface, of at least one of (i) a monetary quantity or (ii) a score, said score based at least in part upon a plurality of user submissions.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

causing display of a nonprofit indicator, said nonprofit indicator indicating a status of a first organization.

10. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

generating revenue, said generating revenue comprising gathering and selling information pertaining to at least a first user.

11. The method of claim 6, additionally comprising:

receiving a first URL, wherein;

the newsfeed comprises a plurality of news items, said plurality of news items comprising a first news item, said first news item comprising at least a first hyperlink, said first hyperlink linking to said first URL.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at least partially causing display of a first quantity when a first URL is accessed, said at least partly causing display of said first quantity further comprising at least one of;

providing a toolbar, said toolbar configured to at least partly cause said display of said first quantity when said first URL is accessed;

or

providing markup language information, said markup language information configured to at least partly cause said display of said first quantity when a first resource at said first URL is accessed and when said first resource comprises said markup language information.

13. A system for supporting a charitable cause in a social network environment comprising:

a computer system comprising at least a data processor and a memory;

a newsfeed subsystem configured to cause display of a newsfeed through a web browser of a client computer;

a charitable causes subsystem configured to monitor transactions and share with a first charitable cause at least a portion of proceeds from a first transaction when said first charitable cause meets an eligibility criterion; and

a scoring subsystem, said scoring subsystem being configured (i) to receive a first submission and (ii) to determine a measurement of how much a plurality of users in the social network likes said first submission.

14. The system of claim 13 additionally comprising an advertisement subsystem configured to cause display of a first advertisement in a first context, said first context relating to a first keyword.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said newsfeed relates to a first social group, said first social group being selected from the group consisting of (i) a school-related group, (ii) a religion-related group, (iii) an interest-related group, and (iv) a club-related group.

16. The system of claim 13 additionally comprising at least one service enhancement, said at least one service enhancement selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a subscription subsystem configured to subscribe a first user to information submitted by a second user; and

(ii) a counting subsystem configured to count and display a number of actions taken by at least a first user.

17. The system of claim 13 additionally comprising a toolbar subsystem configured to cause display of a first toolbar in a web browser wherein said first toolbar is configured to display a dollar amount, said dollar amount being based at least in part upon the first transaction.

18. The system in claim 13 additionally comprising at least one service enhancement, said at least one service enhancement selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a search engine subsystem configured to receive a first search query and provide a plurality of search engine results in response to said first search query, said search engine results pertaining to content received from a plurality of users; and

(ii) a user recommendation subsystem configured to recommend a first user to a second user according to a first matching criterion.

19. A computer-implemented method for supporting a charitable cause in a social network environment, the method comprising:

causing, in a computer system, a client computer to display at least one charity;

receiving, at the computer system, a selection of a selected charity for a charitable donation;

providing the charitable donation to said selected charity;

receiving a first content submission; and

determining, by a computer, a quantity based at least in part on how many users in the social network environment approve of or agree with said first content submission.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising verifying that said at least one charity meets an eligibility criterion.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the eligibility criterion pertains to a tax-related status.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising:

receiving a first subscription; and

providing a first news item according to said first subscription.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising causing a user account to be related to a first organization, the first organization being selected from the group consisting of (i) an academic institution, (ii) a religious organization, (iii) an interest-based organization, and (iv) a club.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing a newsfeed, the newsfeed including news pertaining to a first organization, the first organization being selected from the group consisting of (i) an academic institution, (ii) a religious organization, (iii) an interest-based organization, and (iv) a club.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising causing a web browser toolbar to display a quantity indicator indicative of at least one of (i) a total dollar value and (ii) a score, said score being based at least in part upon a plurality of user submissions.

26. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing a ticker, said ticker comprising at least a first item, said first item relating to a first user activity and comprising at least a link.