Shave For A Cure Website A Winner

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shave For A Cure Website A Winner

A new website has seen the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation raise over $140,000 since April for their signature fundraiser Shave for a Cure®. The website was built on software developed in New Zealand by Nerds Inc. specifically for fundraising events.

Shave for a Cure (www.shaveforacure.co.nz) is a way of showing empathy and solidarity for leukaemia patients, many of whom suffer hair loss as a result of life-saving treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Pru Etcheverry from the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation said they are thrilled with the new facility to generate and receive donations. “We simply couldn’t have administered this so easily without the capability this website gives us.”

The website has made fundraising easy for the participants, as they can now register and contact potential sponsors online, directing them to their individual fundraising pages.

By receiving online pledges they don’t have the hassle of collecting and passing on the money, as the system automatically tracks the donations received and banks it directly into the Foundation’s account.

Making it easy for sponsors to donate using their credit card was a significant factor in the revenue generation, said Etcheverry.

“Online credit card donations have provided a boost to our Shave for a Cure income. We’ve generated income from overseas donations for the first time, which we couldn’t have done without the website.”

The website shows the actual donations received by each participant, a feature that has proved especially popular with companies who get involved.

One corporate which did a repeat event saw a significantly increased result this year, with all employees involved using the website for their fundraising.

“Participants set a fundraising target and this encourages them to achieve better fundraising results” said Etcheverry. “Donors have the opportunity to write messages of support which also provides a lot of motivation and fun for the participants”.

The website was developed by Auckland based software development firm Nerds Inc. (www.nerdsinc.co.nz) and includes several unique features, including e-cards and the ability to upload “before and after” photos of participants having their locks shorn for the cause.

The website also enables companies to compete in a friendly rivalry to see who can raise the most money.

“PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bell Gully had a challenge this year for their employees to raise funds for Shave for a Cure, and their contribution was nothing short of amazing, raising over $66,000 online between them” said Etcheverry.

The website was customised to the Foundation’s specific requirements by Nerds Inc. who “have been incredibly professional and proactive at all stages of the project” said Etcheverry.

“While we had a concept in mind, James’ team helped to extend and flesh out the details, adding creative and practical comment and ideas.”

Nerds Inc. Director James McGlinn said similar systems could be developed for any charitable organisation, including schools and community groups, to set-up their own online fundraising events.

The software firm is continuing to develop and expand the features available, making the system easy to set-up and quick to launch for many different types of fundraising events.

Enquiries regarding Shave for a Cure, including companies and individuals looking to support the event, can be directed to Penny McEwan (penny[at]leukaemia.org.nz) at the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation.

Enquiries regarding fundraising websites can be directed to James McGlinn (james[at]nerdsinc.co.nz) from Nerds Inc.

ENDS

http://www.nerdsinc.co.nz/

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