eyegive Begins Charitable Distributions

Internet service eyegive of Evanston, IL, said that after just four months of operations, it is delivering more than one million ads per month to members and is distributing its first quarterly payments to nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

In its Quarterly Givings Report, the new service reported that checks totaling more than $5,000 representing the first month and a half of activity are being mailed to over 160 charitable operations ranging from Scout troops and community-based nonprofits to large social service and advocacy organizations.

Robert Grosshandler, the founder of eyegive, said that in addition to issuing checks to these nonprofits, he is also challenging them to help the service reach the “1.5 million good deeds served” per-month mark in April.

The eyegive service offers individuals a simple, free opportunity to transform the way they support their favorite causes or charities into a daily, almost instantaneous activity. Eyegive enables individuals to “do good” by earning funds for nonprofit organizations of their choice without having to reach into their own wallets.

After designating charitable causes to receive funds, eyegive members receive personalized home pages containing full-page advertisements when they start their Internet browser software. When members click anywhere on the eyegive page, they earn funds for their chosen nonprofits.

Grosshandler also said that since eyegive’s November 1997 launch, membership has reached approximately 6,500 individuals and continues growing steadily at a rate of 10% per week with almost 1,200 nonprofits nominated by members to receive funds.