October 2004

Introducing NYCharities.org

NYCharities.org, a new e-philanthropy portal, is taking GuideStar data to the Empire State. Dedicated to increasing the flow of philanthropic dollars to charities located in New York State, NYCharities.org is already on-line but will be launched formally at an event in New York City on October 28. (Go to www.nycharities.org for details about the launch and accompanying nonprofit workshop, both co-sponsored by GuideStar)

Powered by a customized version of the GuideStar database and search engine, NYCharities.org is a free Web site where donors can find information on the more than 60,000 charities in the state, contribute to those organizations on-line, and find volunteer opportunities.

An e-ticketing tool enables charities to use the site to sell tickets to their fund-raising events. Charities use the tools on NYCharities.org at no charge and receive 97 percent of every donation made to them through the site. Although the remaining 3 percent helps offset the cost of each on-line transaction, NYCharities.org makes no profit from these transactions.

NYCharities.org is dedicated to giving New York charities large and small equal access to the technology that will allow them to garner support from new audiences. Whereas technology expertise and upkeep is easiest for larger, wealthier nonprofits, most charities in the state operate on $400,000 a year or less. Although many of these smaller organizations have Web sites, they have little ability to use the sites effectively or to build traffic to them. NYCharities.org provides a stable on-line support system that enables struggling nonprofits to concentrate on their missions while giving donors access to the latest Internet tools through which to contribute money and time.

NYCharities.org is one of several sites that use GuideStar data and tools to promote philanthropy in a specific region or to a specific audience. GuideStar powers the charity search for the Touch DC Coalition, which encourages citizens in the Washington, D.C., area to become regular donors to local nonprofit organizations. The Web sites of the California and New Mexico attorneys general use GuideStar data and customized versions of the search engine to help residents learn about nonprofits doing business in those states. And GuideStar powers the charity searches for the Fidelity, Schwab, and T. Rowe Price donor-advised funds.

"Nonprofit data doesn't just sit on our site," notes Bob Ottenhoff, GuideStar's president and CEO. "Through our many partnerships, it is disseminated throughout the country, extending the reach of the charities in the database. We welcome NYCharities.org as the newest partner in this effort and wish every success for both NYCharities.org and the nonprofits it serves."