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Social Media Initiative Leads to $100K Gift
Windows Live™ Messenger lets you Stay in Touch and Help the Red Cross
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 — While some young people may not have the money to donate to the organizations they care about, the i’m™ Initiative provides them a chance to give money to the American Red Cross by simply chatting with their friends. Thanks to the support of Windows Live™ Messenger customers, Microsoft has donated $1.3 million to ten cause organizations, including the American Red Cross, which is receiving a minimum of $100,000. The donation will support the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to disaster survivors.
The i’m Initiative is a program that uses Windows Live Messenger to connect people with ten organizations dedicated to social causes. If users designate the Red Cross as their organization of choice for i’m, every time they send an instant message using Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft shares a portion of the program’s advertising revenue with the Red Cross.
“In the past few years, technology has advanced and evolved at a breathtaking rate. Similarly, people are always looking for new ways to help make a difference. The i’m Intiative is a great way for people to harness their desire to help in a unique way,” said Steve Denne, vice president of Development for the American Red Cross. ”I would like to thank Microsoft and all of the Windows Live Messenger customers that have supported the American Red Cross and helped us change lives.”
The i’m Initiative also provided the Red Cross with the ability to utilize technology to increase awareness about the Red Cross mission, and to develop a relationship with people interested in giving. Microsoft connected the Red Cross and the other cause organizations with millions of Windows Live Messenger customers.
“The i’m Initiative has been and will continue to be a valuable component of Red Cross social media projects, both as an avenue to connect with new supporters and as a tool to offer existing supporters,” said Wendy Harman, sr. associate of New Media Integration for the American Red Cross. “The Red Cross is always looking for more effective and efficient ways to connect with people who are passionate about the mission. The i’m Initiative provides one of a handful of ways the organization is opening a two-way conversation with the public – including Red Cross Chat, the organizational blog, the American Red Cross Flickr photo pool, and the American Red Cross YouTube Channel.”
Windows Live customers have embraced the initiative, and the program is continuing. With no set cap on the amount donated, the more i’m conversations you have, the more money goes to help the Red Cross respond to disasters of every size and scope through its Disaster Relief Fund. If you are ready to help make a difference, please visit http://im.live.com to join Microsoft's i'm Initiative.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.
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