For many nonprofits, the Internet can seem like a fundraising goldmine. Breaking down the barriers of geography and advertising expense, the Internet has the potential for bringing an issue-based -- rather than locality-based -- community together to donate to an organization's mission.

But fundraising on the Internet has its own problems. For many nonprofits, setting up a secure server, along with a method of taking credit card donations over the Internet, can prove far too expensive for their budgets.

While there are several for-profit companies that allow nonprofits to use their servers and their technology to raise money, it's possible for a nonprofit to have to register in every state that requires such paperwork for a charitable organization, in order to safely raise funds over the Internet.

Seeking to offer a less-complicated alternative to its constituency of progressive organizations, the Tides Foundation has started eGrants.org, an online charity that accepts donations and gives them out to designated nonprofits.

By going online to the eGrants.org Web site -- or one of the sites set up in partnerships between eGrants.org and other groups -- donors can find out more about a nonprofit, make a credit card donations and designate money to go to however many eGrants-approved charities they want.

The transaction is done through eGrant's credit card processing and the funds are deposited into eGrant's accounts. eGrants.org is registered as a public charity all across the country.

Ten percent of the donation is then taken out for administrative costs, a number that the organization says is likely to decrease as donation traffic increases. Finally, a check or electronic transfer is sent to the recipient nonprofit.

Since eGrants.org is a 501(c)(3) charity, donations are tax-deductible. Donor names are kept private, unless the donor wants to establish an ongoing relationship with a nonprofit.

In its first collaboration, eGrants.org has teamed up with Working Assets, a telecommunications company with a history of supporting progressive causes, to launch the GiveForChange.com Web site. Working Assets has pledged to match the first $1 million in donations made through the site.

Full text of this news release is currently found at:
http://www.egrants.org/egrantsnews.html