We all know that fund-raising is an ongoing challenge for just about every youth ball team, choir, band, troop, and other youth organizations. Endless magazine sales, car washes, candy bars, and cookie dough sales drives are common ways to raise money, but Joel Rumrill, founder of InkForKidsOnline.com, felt like there should be another option.
“I was on my way home one day and my wife called and said we needed an ink cartridge for the printer so that our son could finish has school project that night”, Mr. Rumrill states as he recalls how the idea got started. ”I stopped by a local national retail chain store and paid $43 dollars for one color ink cartridge. I was shocked at the price, but I had to have it now. I’ve been buying my ink cartridges on-line for several years getting great quality products at half the cost compared to retail.”
In the days prior to that event, Mr. Rumrill estimated he had shelled out over $50 to the neighborhood kids supporting various baseball, band and other fund raising efforts. I thought, ”I wish these fund raisers sold stuff you actually needed instead of 1 pound candy bars or tubs of over priced cookie dough. I love to help the kids programs, but I hate wasting my hard earned money on stuff like this.”
That’s when the idea came to me, “start a company that sells stuff that most house-holds are already purchasing, save them money and enable youth organizations to profit from this market.” It’s a win win situation for everyone.
So Mr. Rumrill started doing some research and InkForKidsOnline.com was born. He then contracted with Third River, a Salem-based web design and marketing firm, to help him build out the complete e-commerce store and the affiliate fund raising program. Today, the new printer cartridge web site offers affordable pricing on the most popular ink cartridges for today’s printers, and a hassle free way for youth organizations to raise much needed funds.
“We are very excited to be able help launch InkForKidsOnline.com”, stated Tim Fahndrich of Third River. “It will provide a great way for countless youth organizations to help raise much-needed funds, and it represents a strong value for consumers.”
Some of the key features of the new web site include;
- complete e-commerce shopping cart
- cross-selling features like “you might also like these products”
- product reviews
- ability to easily add new products and web site content using a content management system
- flat rate shipping of $4.50
- featured ‘top sellers’
- ability to share products on social media sites and via email
- shopping integration into the company’s Facebook fan page
- a 15% revenue share affiliate program to help organizations raise money
- … and much more
Here’s how the affiliate fund raising program works;
- Sign up your youth organization for the affiliate program
- Once signed up, you can get special affiliate links that you can send out via email, in letters, and on your web site
- When shoppers visit the InkForKidsOnline site through your link and make a purchase, the affiliate program will track it all and give your organization 15%
- Once per month, InkForKidsOnline will pay all affiliates with at least $50 in earnings.
Here is a screen shot of the new web site;
