Leading Global Environmental Group Launches New Non-Profit Technology with The Network Companies

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Network Companies LLC is announcing the launch of the new Environmental Defense Fund Fundraising Toolbar and Facebook Application. These applications, developed by The Network Companies and FreeCause, Inc., will serve as fundraising and engagement tools for Environmental Defense Fund, which was ranked first among environmental groups — and second overall — in the 2007 Financial Times global study of 850 business-nonprofit partnerships. The toolbar, which launched today, may be downloaded from Environmental Defense Fund’s website at: edf.org/climate/climate-change and the Facebook Application may be visited by going to: http://apps.facebook.com/environmentaldefense.   

“We are excited about partnering with an organization like Environmental Defense Fund,” said John Weaver, Senior Partner at The Network. “Now its members will have an opportunity to support the organization in a revolutionary new way. The technology we have introduced will convert supporters’ day-to-day activities into a new revenue stream for Environmental Defense Fund and a platform that will raise awareness about climate change.”

“We’re thrilled to offer our donors and members an easy, unobtrusive way to demonstrate their support for Environmental Defense Fund,” said David Acup, Senior Director of Interactive Marketing & Membership for Environmental Defense Fund. “This toolbar is a great tool for our supporters to keep track of Environmental Defense Fund’s campaign to stop global warming and to discover how they can reduce their own carbon footprint.” 

The toolbar raises money every time an Environmental Defense Fund supporter searches the Internet through the Yahoo! powered search feed. Additionally, whenever supporters make a purchase at one of hundreds of participating e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and eBay, a percentage of the sale amount is contributed to the organization.

The toolbar is also a powerful communications tool, providing an always-on connection between the organization and each of its members. The toolbar’s communication features include auto-updatable RSS and news feeds, links to pages on Environmental Defense Fund’s website, all the components offered by the Google and Yahoo! toolbars such as the weather and email checker, and the most powerful feature: the messaging component. The messaging component will give the Environmental Defense Fund the ability to segment messaging based on demographic data, providing a powerful tool for micro-targeting and broadcasting key messages and user-specific calls to action.

Social network applications, like the Environmental Defense Fund’s Fight Global Warming Application, are fast becoming the most efficient way for organizations to identify new constituents and grow their membership bases online.  Other current clients include Oxfam America, the Dallas Cowboys, health-related affinity organizations, and numerous political groups. 

“The toolbar and social network applications represent a new frontier in cause-based marketing,” Weaver said, “The Network and FreeCause are experts at utilizing these tools to deliver success for our clients.”

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The Network Companies LLC, a multi-service firm offering public affairs and crisis management, political consulting, and affinity, online, and direct marketing is based in Washington, DC. The Network has the exclusive rights to all domestic and international political clients of the FreeCause toolbar software. FreeCause, Inc. is a software and technology development firm based in Boston, MA.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.