Photo: (Getty Images)
So, you want a _____. Could be anything -- a book, an album, a lava lamp, a Monkichi plush (who doesn't want a Monkichi plush, really) ... How are you going to pick the right product? Why, recommendations from your friends, of course! Now imagine that every time you take their advice, a reputable charity benefits. Rec.fm is making it happen.
When Rec.fm founder John Appler realized that Facebook and Twitter users spend $150 billion a year shopping online, he came up with a way to share a piece of that pie with one of 25 powerful nonprofits like the Red Cross or Kiva or the National Institute for Cancer Research -- organizations that have been hit hard by the economy.
Users just:
- Pick a product from Rec.fm's huge inventory.
- Write a brief recommendation.
- Post it to your social networks.
- Sit back and relax while nonprofits reap the rewards.
Every time they click through to make a purchase, Rec.fm gets a "referral fee" from the merchant — 100 percent of which goes to your selected charity during the first 90 days after you post it, 50 percent after that. Plus, you can feel good knowing your word-of-mouth support is helping genuinely cool vendors. (Your friends will be oh so grateful when they're snuggling with their very own Monkichi by the light of their new lava lamps.)
Appler gives credit to the MTV generation (ie: us) as the strongest community backing Rec.fm, saying, "they just tend to share more readily and have a genuine interest in helping causes." Truth. His goal is to move $5 to $10 billion to important causes without anyone spending an extra dime.
You'll earn points, too, for well-promoted recs, with prizes like Amazon gift cards up for grabs. What's to lose? Click below to get started.
actTAKE ACTION!
Make a Rec
Get started promoting products on Rec.fm and give your charity of choice a piece of the e-commerce pie.
