Giving back with Giftluence

The holiday festivities are in full swing, and at this time of year, giving back is perhaps more important than ever. 

If you're looking to donate to charity this year, and perhaps make it one of your New Year resolutions, check out Giftluence. 

Started by Ryan Charnov earlier this year, Giftluence enables charities to raise money through online shopping with individuals giving back to the community at no extra cost to themselves. Ryan shares his thoughts on Giftluence and the difference it's making below.

Tell us about Giftluence and the inspiration behind it.

Giftfluence is a crowdfunding platform that allows charities to raise money through online shopping. My Co-Founder and I have always been actively involved in the community, but after graduating from college we struggled to find effective methods of giving back. Success in our professional life required us to work hours that prohibited us from volunteering on a consistent basis, and we weren’t earning enough to make significant financial donations. After talking to friends and colleagues, we realized how many people want to support great causes, but don’t necessarily have the time or means to do so. We challenged ourselves to create a solution that makes it as easy as possible for everyone to give back to charity through their daily activities, and from there Giftfluence was born.

 

What are Giftluence’s aims?

We aim to make it as easy as possible to give back to the community through everyday activities. In 2016 alone we plan on raising $1 Million for great causes. As consumers become more socially conscious, we believe that brands will compete to offer the most social benefit. Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where every online purchase helps make the world a better place.

 

How is technology making it easier to give back? 

Technology has created endless opportunities to give back, and has allowed charities to mobilize like never before. Charities can now get their message across to hundreds or even thousands of potential supporters with a click of the button. The power of a crowd is well documented, and as innovators it is our job to create more ways for crowds to mobilize for positive causes. Giftfluence’s technology allows consumers to easily find brands that will donate a portion of their sales to charity, and to support charitable organizations at no additional costs.

 

What has Giftluence achieved so far?

In just a month we have already signed up over 70 retailers to donate a portion of their sales to charity. We are testing our platform with 4 great charities and have already seen surprising results. In just one day Citizen’s United for Research in Epilepsy raised over $100 on our platform without any promotion on social media. During the week of Thanksgiving consumers spent over $2,000 at retailers through Giftfluence, with the average purchase giving over $6 to charity.

 

How can Giftluence be used to make a positive difference this holiday season?

Giftfluence can help everyone give back while shopping for the holidays. Every user who buys their holiday gifts by clicking through Giftfluence will help a great cause make an impact in the community. Even simple actions such as going to the movies can help give back. Fandango, for example, gives back every time you purchase movie tickets. Whether you are enjoying a movie with your family or shopping for holiday gifts you can make a difference by using Giftfluence. We partner with charities that get the absolute most out of donations so every dollar donated through Giftfluence will make more than a dollar’s worth of impact in the community. The Houston Food Bank for example donates 3 meals for every $1 donated. Given that our average purchase leads to over $6 in donations, just one purchase has the potential to provide 18 meals to those in need.

 

What are your plans for Giftluence’s future?

Our long-term vision is to create technology so that every online purchase gives back to charity. In the next few weeks we will start selling discounted gift cards through our site, so that you can give back while saving money at your favorite stores. We have been in discussions with many great causes, and actually plan on using Giftfluence as a way to help fund construction for a school for the special needs in Colorado. There are so many potential ways that consumers can give back and it is our goal to get the word out to as many consumers as possible. We will continue to innovate until every online purchase leads to a charitable donation.

Check out Giftluence and give back this holiday season!