In Two Years, Thousands of Couples Have Raised Nearly $1 Million for National and Local Causes

San Francisco, Calif. - May 9, 2005 - As wedding season swings into high gear, JustGive® (www.justgive.org) provides couples with a popular, flexible alternative to traditional gift registries. JustGive is a national nonprofit organization that uses technology to increase overall giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care about most. Since launching its Charity Wedding Registry in 2003, more than 1,000 couples have raised nearly $1 million for their favorite charities.

On average, couples raise close to $1,000 for causes selected from 1,000,000 possible charities across 19 specific sectors, including animals, community, health and fitness, peace and women’s issues. In some cases, couples have raised upwards of $7,000 for local and national non-profit organizations. According to JustGive, the average individual donation is $70, though its website is flexible enough to accept donations from $5 to $5,000 – or more.

“Many guests on a budget find it unsatisfying – or embarrassing – to give only one fork or one glass to the wedding couple as a gift,” said Kendall Webb, executive director and founder, JustGive. “With JustGive’s Charity Wedding Registry, guests can give the couple something meaningful, valuable and personal that does not stretch their budget. We continue to be pleased with the number of couples who rely on JustGive to offer gift options beyond toasters, cappuccino makers and blenders. Many of our couples tend to be older or are re-marrying. Since they often have less need for traditional gifts, our Charity Wedding Registry provides them with a worthwhile option.”

Based on donor behavior, JustGive has found that wedding guests often make donations in addition to purchasing a gift because of a personal connection with a certain charity, the satisfaction of donating to a good cause, as well as the tax deductible benefits. Those who choose to make only a donation in the couple’s name often give more money to charity than they would have spent on a gift.

“We chose the JustGive.org registry because it contained virtually all of the organizations we feel closely match our own values. Combined, these groups do more than we ever could individually to help foster compassion to animals, the environment, and in our own lives,” said JustGive couple David and Randi. “It is clear to us that the health of animals, our planet, and human beings are interconnected. In the end, we hope that our example will motivate others to reconsider their priorities, let go of needs to constantly consume (even if only temporarily), and give a little back to society.”

JustGive’s Charity Wedding Registry website (www.justgive.org/weddings/index.jsp) provides couples with one convenient location to create and update their registry, make changes or additions, view password-protected reports and share details with guests. Additionally, wedding guests can personalize gift messages to the couple with their donation. Couples are then alerted to new donations through timely email notification.

About JustGive.org
JustGive (www.justgive.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to increase charitable giving across the United States by leveraging unique technology to connect people with more than one million 501(c)(3) charities representing the causes they care about most. JustGive offers services such as charity gift certificates, a charity wedding registry and charity wish lists to make giving a part of everyday lives.

JustGive deducts no administrative costs from the gift other than credit card fees. All donations made through JustGive are tax-deductible, donor names are never passed on without permission, and donors have the option of making anonymous donations to charities. Donors can also keep track of donations made through a customizable password-protected account area, a helpful feature around tax time.

For additional information, please contact us.

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