General Questions:
Q: What stores can I shop from?
A: There are over 1,500 online stores available through the OurGV Mall site that OurGV Rewards activates for the non-profit group. Additionally, new stores are added regularly.
Q: How do I get more stores added?
A: To request for a store to be added to the online OurGV Mall, please email rewards@ourgv.com with the name of the business and the website. During the evaluation process, a key criteria will be if the merchant has affiliate tracking software. This software will assist OurGV in properly crediting purchases. While there is not a current option to directly shop at offline stores, ongoing research and development may make offline shopping a future possibility.
Q: How do the shopping dollars translate into fundraising dollars?
A: Every merchant in the program has a posted percentage online. Between 10 and 80% of these proceeds, depending on the Rewards website option that is chosen, will go to the non-profit group that is affiliated with the shopper! At minimum, shopping that ordinarily would not generate any fundraising dollars will generate at least 10% of the merchant's posted rebate!
Q: What are the best ways to educate and promote fundraising by shopping with OurGV Rewards?
A: We have found that non-profit groups have different forums for communicating with their members/supporters including emailed newsletters, mailed newsletters, websites, and bulletin boards. The OurGV Rewards affiliate will work closely with you to publicize the fundraising program utilizing one of your existing publications or creating a new one. With so many shopping choices available, people from almost anywhere can shop and fundraise for your group!
Q: Is there a way to customize the shopping mall?
A: Yes! Website options are available to help you individualize your online shopping mall site by including your name and logo (if available). Stores may not be added or deleted to individual OurGV Mall sites.
Q: If there are questions about an order, who does the shopper contact?
A: As the entire shopping and purchase experience takes place directly with a merchant, direct all related questions to the appropriate merchant.
Q: How do customers direct their purchases to the non-profit group they want to support?
A: A customer simply needs to shop at the specific website that has been activated for the non-profit group. When selecting stores through the mall, take note of the merchant description page. Most stores utilize technology that fully recognizes all tracking features to properly credit the purchase. Some stores utilize technology that recognize most, but not all, of the tracking information. In such cases, the description page that is visible prior to visiting the actual merchant site will include brief instructions.
Q. Can you provide a detailed sample report or a link on our web site showing what a company would receive monthly? The report that shows the reconciliation – Details of how many sponsor links were clicked and the break-down of the purchases and the commissions related to those purchases.
A. Unfortunately at this time we cannot provide information like this. The primary reason is privacy concerns. As you can probably imagine most companies and organizations are very reluctant to share their data, and even more worried about sharing client data. In any case the number of variables that exist between member organizations shopping habits is astronomical.
Q. Do our clients have access to the email addresses of their supporters who participated in using the Toolbar?
A. Yes, email addresses (not names) of supporters who download a toolbar are available through an organization's toolbar administrative portal.
Q. What, if any, negative reactions have there been to this?
A. None that we are aware of.
Q. As you may know, there are a number of associations that provide courses / accreditation's to the Fundraising community. Have we (OurGV/Benefit bar) presented our model of raising funds to any well known group and if so have we had any positive comments or have we been “Approved” by them? For example - AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals).
A. We are researching different organizations. The challenge is that we are not really fundraisers; rather, we are provide powerful fundraising tools. Technically that makes us ineligible. Additionally, we work with both for profit and non-profit organizations. We just happen to be very passionate about helping non-profits and causes and it is a very important foundation of who we are and what we do.
Q. Have ethical concerns come up regarding commision-based fundraising?
A. Commissions are really no different than the manufacturer of girl scout cookies (for example) getting paid for producing the product the Girl Scouts sell. It is even less of an ethical concern than the CEO of a Non-Profit getting paid a Six Figure Salary. In those cases, a salary is paid regardless of whether or not there is a positive result for a non-profit that year. In contrast, with our program, there are absolutely ZERO commissions or bonuses paid out unless money is actually generated for the organization. This is a previously untapped revenue stream for non-profits that would otherwise be unavailable to them. OurGV Rewards provides an ongoing source of funds that continues to come in month after month and year after year once they develop the awareness and utilization within their members. Most traditional fundraising programs have somebody getting commissions somewhere in the organization. We have created a model where for non-profits it is very minimal comparatively speaking, and far more profitable and cost effective than any other fundraising they could implement.
