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Quick Links: Raise Funds | The iplug Concept | Transferable Plug Points | Potential Returns | What's the downside? | Signing up
iplug offers a really simple, no-fuss method for charities and non-for-profit organisations to raise funds
No outlay is required, no personnel time necessary (apart from a couple of minutes to sign up) and there is literally no downside
Just add your name to the list of charities already registered as Plug Points Recipients and inform your supporters and the general public of your actions
Use iplug to raise general funds or to fundraise for a specific project
Registered charities, un-registered charities (after qualification) and most non-for-profit organisations can join
The potential for funding is huge, without any input necessary by the board or the relevant governing body
Raise Funds
It almost seems too good to be true. With iplug you can raise funds for your charity...
...without having to do anything!
No sausage sizzles, no raffle tickets or chocolate to sell, no begging for volunteers, no standing on street corners.
No serious administration load either!
And the money comes with absolutely NO STRINGS!
Spend it on whatever you want!
The iplug Concept
How can we do this?
The true potential of iplug, and what it means for New Zealanders in general and charities in particular, is best explained by looking at the concept. This is better explained elsewhere (here) but for the elevator presentation on what iplug is all about, here it is;
New Zealanders give feedback (Plugs) to the businesses they use
iplug presents businesses to New Zealanders ranked by their Plugs (Plug Rating)
Potential customers read a business' Plugs before choosing to use them
To encourage Plugging (giving feedback), iplug pays one Plug Point for every Plug made
Plug Points are worth at least 25 cents and can be up to a dollar if redeemed for goods
Plug Points are transferable – to other Pluggers or to schools (or charities)
Your charity can sign up as a Plug Point Recipient and collect Plug Points from your parents/caregivers
Plug Points can be redeemed for cash (One Plug Point = 50 cents for Charities)
Transferable Plug Points
The key to your charity's involvement in iplug is the fact that unlike almost every other Rewards scheme in the country, iplug Plug Points are TRANSFERABLE.
That means that anyone who earns Plug Points is free to GIFT them to any other Plugger...
...or they can Gift them to a school or charity.
Which is where you come in.
Who qualifies to receive funds from iplug?
Ostensibly anyone can receive cash from iplug. A Plugger can redeem 100 Plug Points for $25 cash whenever they like.
But charities (and schools) can redeem Plug Points in any quantity (not limited to multiples of 100) and will receive 50 cents a Plug Point. That means 100 Plug Points are worth $50.
Registered charities are automatically eligible. Unregistered charities may have to furnish a little more information to iplug before they are accepted.
In general iplug will support all genuine charity cases, provided they are not racist, sexist or otherwise offensive in any manner. iplug will be the final judge in all cases.
If you want to sign up as a charity (Plug Point Recipient), but are not sure of your status, you can contact us here.
Be creative
iplug is not averse to supporting one-off causes or non-traditional fundraising efforts.
If your teen band has won a regional battle-of-the-bands contest and needs to raise funds to attend a final overseas, let us know and we may allow you to sign up as a charity (which means twice the amount of cash than a 'regular' Plugger).
If you are samba dancing the length of the country to support child cancer, likewise let us know.
Asking for Plug Points
Once you have signed up as a Plug Points Recipient, simply advise your supporters and followers of this fact through the medium of your newsletter or regular communication. Then ask them for Plug Points.
You can do this for a specific project, a singular cause or just for general funds.
Case Study:
If your charity has 1000 subscribers to your newsletter (supporters, followers, sympathisers etc.) and you put a paragraph or two in your newsletter asking for Plug Points anything could happen.
If all 1000 people signed up and made ONE plug in the next month (or if half of them made TWO, or a Quarter of them made ONE per week) and they GIFTED those Plugs to your cause, then you have just earned $500.
PLEASE NOTE
A business DOES NOT have to be listed on iplug before your supporters can Plug it.
ANY business can receive a Plug – if it's not currently listed, they can make an Orphan Plug. Click here for more on Orphans
Potential returns
A typical New Zealander, in the course of their daily routine, will interact with anywhere between 10 and 50 businesses a week. Bearing in mind that not all businesses will deserve a Plug, and that a Plugger cannot Plug the same business more often than once a month, it's not unreasonable for a Plugger to sit down once a week and make at least 5 Plugs.
This would take them no more than fifteen minutes online, and would earn them 5 Plug Points. Potentially they could earn 20 Plug Points a month or 240 a year.
The Plugger would then have the option of what to do with his/her Plug Points. They may not give ALL of them to your cause, but if a campaign were in progress that asked for Plug Points for a specific goal, you might get half of them. Who knows... you might even get them all.
If 300 committed supporters each gave you 100 Plug Points in a calendar year, that amounts to $15,000 from iplug!
And what have you done to get this? Other than a little nagging in the newsletter, not much. And what has this cost your supporters and followers? Nothing.
in fact, going on the above figures, these Pluggers still have 140 Plug Points to either give to their local school, spend in the iplug Shop or turn into $25 cash for themselves! (To see the options for Pluggers, click here)
What's the downside?
We like to think there isn't any.
Okay, if we were asking you to support a specific commercial business at the expense of others, perhaps you'd baulk. Or if joining iplug meant supporting a political party or a controversial product, we could understand a reluctance to do so on your part.
But none of that is true.
iplug is a consumer tool for New Zealanders and a means for good businesses to get ahead. There are no losers (apart from shoddy business practices or poor customer service).
We're sure you will do your due diligence to ensure that your charity isn't allying itself to something that could hurt its exemplary reputation, so...
...what are you waiting for?
Signing up
To get your charity's name on the database of Plug Points Recipients – and allow Pluggers to Gift their Plug Points to you – begin by clicking a Register link on any page (or here).
You will then see this;
Click the link in this box to take you to the School/Charity sign up page.
Then follow the instructions in the wizard.
Bank Account Number
iplug Plug Point funds are only deposited into a bank account. We do not send cheques or hand out cash.
When you join you will be asked for your organisation's bank account number. If you're reluctant to enter that in a web page (it will be encrypted), you can send us a deposit slip or use another method to get the number to us.
You will ultimately have to furnish proof that this is your account anyway. We will contact you within 10 business days to organise the receipt of a deposit slip and/or some official documentation (letterhead etc.) that proves we are dealing with an official of your organisation.
Timing
As soon as you finish the sign-up procedure (three minutes?) your charity will be on the database available to Pluggers. You can begin receiving Gifted Plug Points immediately.
But you will be unable to redeem your Plug Points for funding until we have verified your bank account (up to 10 business days).
If you have any questions about iplug, fundraising or your particular situation, contact us here.
For information on Plugging, the benefits of Listing Your Business, Finding a Business to use or Getting Rewards with iplug, click on one of the following links...
