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The perfect marriage of sharing and caring
Today's wedding style:
For many couples, green means giving to others...
San Francisco, California - May 5, 2008 - To commemorate their special day and the love in their lives, more couples than ever before are choosing to give, rather than receive "green."
In the last year, JustGive.org, an online San Francisco-based nonprofit, experienced a 50 percent increase in the number of couples making charitable giving a part of their wedding. Since launching the Wedding Gift Center service five years ago, JustGive.org couples have contributed more than $1.1 million to charitable organizations.
At a time when couples are embracing environmental products and practices for weddings and receptions, they are also choosing more meaningful and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional gifts: registering online for charitable gifts, giving charitable gift certificates to their wedding party, and making charitable donations as wedding favors to thank guests.
"We were so glad to find JustGive.org! The gift we really wanted from our family and friends is their support for the nonprofit organizations we love-not another blender or toaster," said Emily A. and Chris K., Seattle, Washington. Most important for Catherine E. and Tom B. of Oakland, California, "charity gifts set the right tone for the start of our marriage."
"We see charitable gifts for many reasons," explains JustGive.org Founder and Executive Director Kendall Webb. "Many couples choose to start their life together by giving back. Others want to honor a family member or give to a cause dear to their hearts. Some say they already have too much 'stuff.' "
For every reason, JustGive.org makes it easy and safe for any engaged couple to give in a meaningful, eco-friendly way to local and favorite charities-the perfect marriage of caring and sharing. Searchable access through the site to more than 1 million 501(c)(3) organizations (powered by Guidestar®) and the JustGive Guide organizing 1,000 nonprofits into 19 causes allows couples to conveniently personalize their union with meaningful gifts and favors.
The charitable giving options available to couples through the Wedding Gift Center are:
- Wedding Gift Registry- In only three steps (create account, wedding details, add charities), JustGive.org creates a wedding page for the couple that contains their special charities of choice and reason(s) for the charitable registry. To announce the registry, JustGive.org provides an email to send to guests with a direct link to the couple's registry-a link that may also be added to the couple's wedding website. Couples receive a "Special Gift for You" email as gifts are received and can track giving through the site's features.
- Wedding Favors-To thank guests in a more meaningful way, couples may make a heartfelt charitable donation in lieu of the traditional disposable wedding favors. At no charge, JustGive.org produces a personalized pdf file adaptable for their wedding program, individual scrolls, and/or tabletop reception cards to acknowledge the gift to guests.
- Wedding Party Gifts-To show how much they care about members of the wedding party, couples can make a direct donation in a person's name to a cause close to his or her heart or give them a personalized gift certificate redeemable online to a charity of their choice.
Gifts made through the Wedding registry are tax deductible to guests, including the $5 gift center fee for each transaction. This small fee, which is less than the typical shipping and handling charge, is used to support and enhance JustGive.org's nonprofit services.
In addition to the gift options listed above, The JustGive.org Wedding Gift Center includes a host of other charitable and environmentally responsible wedding ideas, from donating leftover food and flowers to volunteering on your honeymoon.
JustGive.org is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization started in 2000 by Harvard graduate Kendall Webb. Guided by its mission to connect people with the causes they care about most by harnessing the power of technology, JustGive.org is a creative, convenient, and comprehensive way to make charitable giving a part of everyday life. In honor of such a special time in their lives, JustGive.org offers couples several meaningful and memorable ways to give "green" for their wedding the perfect marriage of sharing and caring.
For more about our charity wedding registry, please visit our Wedding Registry Press Kit or contact us.
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