Innovation Watch: Collective buying with The Point

Published November 13, 2008 @ 12:27PM PT

I've mentioned The Point before as one of the online social action platforms most dilligently experimenting with creating new user contexts for action.They've just launched a new service that, while not explicitly philanthropic in nature, demonstrates the potential of aggregate power in helping social entrepreneurs acquire the resources they need.

The Daily Groupon is a collective buying tool powered by The Point platform that offers group discounts for cool Chicago events (The Point is based in Chicago). The neat thing is that you don't necessarily need to bring the whole group. Today's Groupon offer are reduced-rate tickets to The Nutcracker only available to groups of 15 or larger. With The Point, I can agree to attend if and only if another 14 people sign up and we can get the reduced rate.

What are the types of things that nonprofits could come together to buy with a similar process?

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Comments (2)

Hey Nathaniel, thanks for the mention.

We're planning to donate the Groupon space to non-profits doing project-based fundraising over the weekends. E.g. Raise $500 for Women Now to get a copy machine.

So if there are any non-profits (especially chicago-based non-profits) that are interested in being featured, email me: andrew at the point dot com

Posted by Andrew Mason on 11/13/2008 @ 02:58PM PT
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This is great. Kiva meets Carrotmob. Exciting direction of online mobilization.

Posted by amy benziger on 11/17/2008 @ 07:36PM PT
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Author

Nathaniel is the founding Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, which works annually with hundreds of students in dozens of countries around the world through curricular programs and student project incubation.