iContact Empowers Non-Profits to Achieve Online Success with Email and Social Media Marketing

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to social responsibility, iContact Corp., a leading email marketing and social media marketing company, hosted its fifth quarterly non-profit workshop on Aug. 19, 2011.  iContact helps non-profit organizations in North Carolina succeed by providing its product free of charge to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations.  This donation is part of the company's 4-1s giving program whereby it gives one percent from each of its payroll, equity, product and employee time to its local and global community.  iContact has trained 75 non-profit organizations over the past year through its quarterly workshops, which cover all aspects of iContact email and social media marketing.  iContact currently serves around 670 non-profit organizations with accounts for up to 10,000 subscribers, which translates to roughly $42,000 worth of in-kind product per month.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110413/CL82281LOGO-b )

"Donating one percent of our product is a huge win for non-profits, particularly in a challenging economy where budgets are tight and charitable giving is down," said Ryan Allis, CEO, iContact. "iContact's donation enables non-profits to reallocate funds earmarked for marketing spend toward other strategic initiatives while having a robust and easy-to-use solution for communicating with supporters. As a purpose-driven company, we look forward to delivering these workshops as much as the non-profits do, and we plan to offer many more in the future."

iContact first introduced its non-profit workshops in July 2010 and its demand across non-profit users continues to grow.  The company hosted 16 North Carolina-based non-profit organizations at its recent August workshop, which filled within two hours of registration opening.  Workshop attendees range from those familiar with the application to non-profits who are first-time users. Topics covered include instruction on deliverability and how to ensure messages reach intended recipients, a best practices session where non-profits share email marketing strategies with peer attendees and one-on-one training sessions with skilled iContact technical service representatives and account managers.

"iContact's 4-1s program and the donation of its software and services has made a positive impact for Duke HomeCare & Hospice as we continually look for ways to engage with supporters and reach new donors," said Michael Lowery, assistant director, Annual Giving, Duke HomeCare & Hospice. "As a new iContact user, the assistance provided during the non-profit workshop was extremely valuable. I look forward to maximizing our online marketing efforts using tips I learned such as creating a website sign-up page and fully engaging with supporters via social media tools."

"iContact enables Triangle Family Services to effectively and efficiently connect with our supporters without dedicating large quantities of time and resources on our email marketing," said Alice Lutz, CEO, Triangle Family Services. "We can remain nimble and focus our efforts on initiatives that help us deliver on our mission and better serve the community."

With the down economy, the workshops come at an important time as non-profits look for effective ways to reach donors during a time when giving levels have decreased.  Donations to the nation's largest charities dropped 11 percent in 2010, a decline that was the worst in the two decades since The Chronicle started its Philanthropy 400 ranking of the organizations that raise the most from private sources.  According to the Wealth and Values Survey by PNC Wealth Management (March 2010), the majority of wealthy Americans have maintained a sense of obligation to give financially to their communities, but more than one in four have cut their giving. Twenty-eight percent of wealthy Americans say the recession has caused them to cut back on the total amount of money they give to charity.

iContact will host its next workshop on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011.  Non-profits interested in using iContact can visit the company's corporate responsibility page for more information. To learn more about iContact's non-profit workshops, please follow iContact's blog.

About iContact

Based in Raleigh, NC, iContact is a purpose-driven company making email marketing and social media marketing easy for small and midsized companies and causes to grow and succeed. More than one million users have signed up for iContact accounts and the company maintains B Corporation status, a certification awarded to companies meeting comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards. As part of its ongoing social mission, iContact applies the 4-1s Corporate Social Responsibility Model, donating 1 percent from each of its payroll, equity, product and employee time to its local and global community. Visit us online at iContact.com, on Twitter @iContact, at iContact LinkedIn Group, and on our Facebook Fan page.

For media inquiries, contact Davida Dinerman or Michael McDonough, Schwartz Communications,
781-684-0770, [email protected].

SOURCE iContact Corp.