Once upon a time, 4 Dads met up on a Thursday night in the Spring of 2006 and agreed to use their different skills to benefit charities and schools rather than profits for shareholders. The idea for TheGivingMachine™ was born.

All avid online shoppers, our four dads spotted the opportunity for UK charities and schools to benefit from the commission - £1billion a year - that UK online retailers are offering for click-through custom. By modelling www.thegivingmachine.co.uk on these commercial portal sites and converting the commission into donations, shoppers and retailers are turned into givers with every online purchase made via the site. Each month, these donations are aggregated and distributed on behalf of the shopper by TheGivingMachine™.

Although some similar schemes were around, the 4 Dads felt that there was a better way to help charities and schools benefit more by building a real giving community and keeping overheads to a minimum, which would result in increased donations.

The innovative scheme is potentially one of the easiest, cheapest and most sustainable ways for UK charities and schools to raise essential funds regularly. It takes advantage of the rapid growth in internet use - 40%¹ of British households now have Broadband access, while the UK's online shopping market is has grown to over £13bn for the first 6 months of 2006 alone!² And the best part is it is absolutely free for both Givers and beneficiaries.

The philosophy is encouraging people to give 'little and often'. Research shows that TheGivingMachine™'s fundraising model appeals to shoppers because they already buy online, and for the time it takes for one extra click they can also make money for charities and schools they select. With over 100 of the UK 's leading brand name stores to buy from, Givers have the widest possible choice of merchants to shop from and generate money for good causes.

A not-for-profit organisation and registered member of the Institute of Fundraising , TheGivingMachine™ operates ethically and transparently adhering to the Institutes standards and best practices. The organisation currently only retains 25% of donations received - the UK charity average for fundraising - to cover its administrative costs, which it plans to drive down as the level of donations grow.

In time, TheGivingMachine™ wants to become the definitive space for the UK 's giving community - bringing together diverse organisations and people to make a positive difference to Britain 's communities and beyond.

¹ 57% internet access with almost 40% being broadband and only 17% narrowband: source UK Government statistics

² The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), for example, said recently that British shoppers spent £13.5 billion online during the first half of 2006. It predicts the e-retail market will grow 36% to £26 billion this year.