Abstract:
A system for crowd-based data and resource management, comprises, an application server adapted to perform a method of data management comprising providing an interface for posting an idea, providing an interface to search for an organization, providing an interface to enable a user to donate to the organization, providing an interface to share information about the organization, and providing an interface to view analytics about the organization.

Description:
PRIORITY AND RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 61/306,007 filed on Feb. 19, 2010. The details of Application No. 61/306,007 are incorporated into the present application by reference and for all proper purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Aspects of the present application relate to crowd-based resource and data management, and more particularly, to a system and method for enabling corporations, foundations and other organizations to get more out of their charitable giving or donations by enabling a group of consumers and/or customers to login and vote for their favorite charity or idea. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Prior systems for charitable giving and data resource management fail to address the need to allow large groups of users to interactively participate and contribute to a charitable cause or other marketing campaign. Aspects of systems constructed in accordance with the present invention solve these problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Aspects of the present invention comprises a system for crowd-based data and resource management, comprises, an application server adapted to perform a method of data management comprising providing an interface for posting an idea, providing an interface to search for an organization, providing an interface to enable a user to donate to the organization, providing an interface to share information about the organization, and providing an interface to view analytics about the organization. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0005]      FIGS. 1-13  are examples of a user interface dashboard as implemented in accordance with various aspects of the present invention; and 
           [0006]      FIG. 14  is a representative machine or other structure that may be used in connection with aspects of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    CrowdGiver is a cause marketing platform that applies the elements of crowdsourcing to charitable giving. It allows corporations and foundations to get more out of their charitable giving or donations by enabling a group of consumers and/or customers to login and vote for their favorite charity or idea. The charity or idea with the most votes would qualify for a certain portion or all of the corporations or foundations charitable donation. The platform can be branded to look like the corporation or foundation so that it extends brand recognition. 
         [0008]    For example, Starbucks gives away $1,000,000 to charities in any given year. Starbucks would use CrowdGiver to run one or multiple cause marketing campaigns that may engage one or multiple groups of customers. They could run one or multiple CrowdGiver campaigns where they allow certain customers to vote on which charities who support a certain categories of social need (fair trade, organic, kids education, poverty, planet, etc.) should receive a portion or all of their annual charitable giving. By running these campaigns they engage a group of consumers to vote for their favorite charity while extending their brand into a positive cause and exposing this group to a unique marketing message. 
         [0009]    The CrowdGiver platform can be configured with a variety of elements, depending on the objectives of your marketing campaign. It could be configured into different applications with any combination of the following elements:
   Post an Idea   Search for a charity   Donate to your favorite charity   Donate to your favorite idea   Share with friends by sending to friends via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Email   Comment regarding a specific charity   Comment regarding a specific idea   Run multiple campaigns simultaneously   Analytics per campaign   View a leaderboard   
 
         [0020]    The screen shot images included herein represent several examples of the platform described above as it may be implemented on a machine, computer or other networked environment. 
         [0021]    Structure and Machine Embodiment. With reference to  FIG. 14 , shown is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of a machine in the exemplary form of a computer system  600  within which a set of instructions for causing a device to perform any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure to be executed. Computer system  600  includes a processor  605  and a memory  610  that communicate with each other, and with other components, via a bus  615 . Bus  615  may include any of several types of bus structures including, but not limited to, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a local bus, and any combinations thereof, using any of a variety of bus architectures. 
         [0022]    Memory  610  may include various components (e.g., machine readable media) including, but not limited to, a random access memory component (e.g., a static RAM “SRAM”, a dynamic RAM “DRAM, etc.), a read only component, and any combinations thereof. In one example, a basic input/output system  620  (BIOS), including basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer system  600 , such as during start-up, may be stored in memory  610 . Memory  610  may also include (e.g., stored on one or more machine-readable media) instructions (e.g., software)  625  embodying any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure. In another example, memory  610  may further include any number of program modules including, but not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, program data, and any combinations thereof. 
         [0023]    Computer system  600  may also include a storage device  630 . Examples of a storage device (e.g., storage device  630 ) include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive for reading from and/or writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and/or writing to a removable magnetic disk, an optical disk drive for reading from and/or writing to an optical media (e.g., a CD, a DVD, etc.), a solid-state memory device, and any combinations thereof. Storage device  630  may be connected to bus  615  by an appropriate interface (not shown). Example interfaces include, but are not limited to, SCSI, advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA, universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (FIREWIRE), and any combinations thereof. In one example, storage device  630  may be removably interfaced with computer system  600  (e.g., via an external port connector (not shown)). Particularly, storage device  630  and an associated machine-readable medium  635  may provide nonvolatile and/or volatile storage of machine-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and/or other data for computer system  600 . In one example, software  625  may reside, completely or partially, within machine-readable medium  635 . In another example, software  625  may reside, completely or partially, within processor  605 . Computer system  600  may also include an input device  640 . In one example, a user of computer system  600  may enter commands and/or other information into computer system  600  via input device  640 . Examples of an input device  640  include, but are not limited to, an alpha-numeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a pointing device, a joystick, a gamepad, an audio input device (e.g., a microphone, a voice response system, etc.), a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a touchpad, an optical scanner, a video capture device (e.g., a still camera, a video camera), touch-screen, and any combinations thereof. Input device  640  may be interfaced to bus  615  via any of a variety of interfaces (not shown) including, but not limited to, a serial interface, a parallel interface, a game port, a USB interface, a FIREWIRE interface, a direct interface to bus  615 , and any combinations thereof. 
         [0024]    A user may also input commands and/or other information to computer system  600  via storage device  630  (e.g., a removable disk drive, a flash drive, etc.) and/or a network interface device  645 . A network interface device, such as network interface device  645  may be utilized for connecting computer system  600  to one or more of a variety of networks, such as network  650 , and one or more remote devices  655  connected thereto. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card, a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of a network or network segment include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combinations thereof. A network, such as network  650 , may employ a wired and/or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software  625 , etc.) may be communicated to and/or from computer system  600  via network interface device  645 . 
         [0025]    Computer system  600  may further include a video display adapter  660  for communicating a displayable image to a display device, such as display device  665 . A display device may be utilized to display any number and/or variety of indicators related to pollution impact and/or pollution offset attributable to a consumer, as discussed above. Examples of a display device include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display, and any combinations thereof. In addition to a display device, a computer system  600  may include one or more other peripheral output devices including, but not limited to, an audio speaker, a printer, and any combinations thereof. Such peripheral output devices may be connected to bus  615  via a peripheral interface  670 . Examples of a peripheral interface include, but are not limited to, a serial port, a USB connection, a FIREWIRE connection, a parallel connection, and any combinations thereof. In one example an audio device may provide audio related to data of computer system  600  (e.g., data representing an indicator related to pollution impact and/or pollution offset attributable to a consumer). 
         [0026]    A digitizer (not shown) and an accompanying stylus, if needed, may be included in order to digitally capture freehand input. A pen digitizer may be separately configured or coextensive with a display area of display device  665 . Accordingly, a digitizer may be integrated with display device  665 , or may exist as a separate device overlaying or otherwise appended to display device  665 .