New Socially Responsible Online Network Streamlines Holiday Giving

Founders Melissa Dyrdahl And Drew McManus Aiming to inspire a new generation of philanthropy Bring Light is a social network designed to inspire a new generation of online philanthropy. Bring Light ( http://www.bringlight.com www.bringlight.com ) is a website where donors and nonprofits build communities to fund specific charitable projects. For donors, it is a fun, interactive and secure place where they can see where their contributions are going, and multiply the impact by building Giving Groups around the causes they care about. For charities, it is a quick, simple and inexpensive way to fundraise and build relationships with new donors on the Web. When budgeting for gifts this holiday season, donors can give to people less fortunate as well as enjoy the gift of a tax write off in 2008 by opening a Donor Account on Bring Light. Co-founders Melissa Dyrdahl and Drew McManus left senior executive positions at Adobe Systems to apply their business, marketing and technology expertise to help charities connect more effectively with donors online, and give people a stronger personal link to their giving. “People are more socially conscious thanks to celebrity and political figures raising awareness around causes like global warming, poverty, hunger and AIDS, but today’s donor wants to know where their money is going and if it’s really making a difference” says Melissa Dyrdahl, CEO. Summary Bring Light’s goal: to give exposure to small- to medium-sized charities who often have limited marketing and fundraising budgets. These are the grassroots organizations who are working hard to help our communities, said McManus, President and Co-founder. “If they don’t get funding or new donors, they won’t be around to do the amazing work that they do.” Understanding What Online Donors Want: Bring Light was created for people who want to feel connected to the result of their donations. The site features specific projects posted by charities that are first screened by Bring Light for legitimacy. Donors can see evidence of their impact with real-time updates and by chatting with others in the community, including the charity itself who is encouraged to report back on how the money was spent. How Bring Light Works: Visitors can make an individual contribution, or create or join a Giving Group of like-minded donors. According to a recent survey by Cone Communications, family (77 percent) and friends (64 percent) were the two groups most likely to influence an individual’s decision to support a cause or charity. Charities to Which Online Donors Can Give: Qualifying 501c3 organizations are welcome to visit the site and apply to post its projects. There are more than 100 charities that have made postings that require immediate funding, including: ANGELS (Autism Network for Global Education & Lifelong Support), Assistance Dog Institute Grail Family Services, Humane Society of Silicon Valley, InnVision (housing and day programs for the homeless) and ProjectHIRED, among many others. Define And Discuss The Benefits Of A Donor Advised Fund: Bring Light is unique in offering the advantages of a donor advised fund through its provider, American Endowment Foundation (AEF). AEF aggregates the individual donations funneled into the donor advised fund and provides a single grant to the charity, significantly reducing the nonprofits administrative costs. Donors can fund a Donor Account on Bring Light, immediately receive the maximum tax-benefit, and manage their charitable giving at any time thereafter. This brings the advantages of a donor advised fund to many who would not otherwise qualify. Drew McManus President and Co-Founder Throughout his career in the technology world, Drew has always been all about products. He has worked on fun consumer products, complex enterprise products, and lots of stuff in between. Prior to founding Bring Light, Drew spent 12 years at Adobe Systems, most recently as Director of Corporate Product Management, where he managed a bunch of cool technology that was “under the hood,” including the stuff that makes Adobe’s products accessible to people with disabilities. Drew is known as the “greenest” of his friends, always looking to reduce his family’s environmental footprint. He started by replacing light bulbs with compact fluorescents, and worked his way up to replacing the family cars with hybrids. Drew lives with his wife and two boys, as well as their two dogs, two horses, and an undetermined and growing number of adopted cats. For more information about Bring Light Inc., go to http://www.bringlight.com www.bringlight.com . About American Endowment Foundation American Endowment Foundation (AEF) is an IRS-recognized, 501(c) (3) public charity serving a national constituency since 1993. Its total donor advised fund assets now exceed $130 million. Their sole business is donor advised fund administration, which includes compliance monitoring, state and federal filings, charity review, and grant disbursements – all in accordance with IRS guidelines. For more information, visit http://www.aefonline.org/”>http://www.aefonline.org/ .