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Charitybuzz

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Charitybuzz
Charitybuzz logo
Type of businessPrivate
Founded2005
Headquarters
New York City
,
USA
Key peopleCoppy Holzman (CEO, Founder)
IndustryOnline Charity Auctions
URLcharitybuzz.com

Charitybuzz is a for-profit internet company located in New York City that raises funds for nonprofit organizations through online charity auctions with notable celebrities and brands.[1] At any given time, hundreds of experiences are featured on the Charitybuzz auction block spanning Hollywood, entertainment, business, politics, sports, art, fashion and other industries.[2] The company was founded in 2005 by CEO Coppy Holzman, and board members Brad Reisner and Serena Chew. As of June 2012, the company has raised more than $75 million for charity through its website, with more than 1,000 nonprofits partners.[3]

Origins & History

CEO Coppy Holzman founded Charitybuzz out of his Westport, Connecticut home in April 2005 with the goal of leading nonprofits toward a more collaborative era of fundraising. After a conversation with Chevy Chase and President Bill Clinton at a reception to benefit the Clinton Library in late 2004, he realized he could use apply his 25 years of internet and retail experience to revolutionize philanthropy.[4] He launched Charitybuzz a few months later with one employee and a directive from Chevy Chase to raise funds for The Center for Environmental Education. Holzman and his team persuaded 70 celebrities and luxury brands into donating meet-and-greets, VIP tickets, vacations and other gifts for the company’s first auction. The first experience auctioned was a Caddyshack golf outing with Bill Murray and Chevy Chase.[4] After a segment with Chevy Chase on the TODAY show, the online auction site raised $250,000 within two weeks.[5] After that initial success, Charitybuzz's business grew quickly through word of mouth.[4]

Holzman ran Charitybuzz part-time until the fall of 2007, when he committed to operating the business full-time and moved the company out of his home and into an office space. In 2008, he registered charitybuzz as a chapter S in Delaware and secured a board of directors with notable figures including Kerry Kennedy, Peter Borish, Jonah Goodhart, Jon Melzer, Stuart Sundlow, and Jayni Chase.[6]

Soon after, during the height of the recession in 2009, the company marked $100 million in bids and one million unique visitors. As Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme unraveled and charitable giving diminished for many organizations, Charitybuzz provided a lifeline to nonprofits, aligning them with celebrity icons and giving them access to tens of thousands of new donors in 110 countries.[4]

In 2010, with more than 1,500 online charity auctions under its belt, Charitybuzz doubled in size in just a year by expanding its focus to include corporate philanthropy support.[7] People Magazine,[8] Christie's,[9] Audemars Piguet,[10] Macy's,[11] Chevrolet[12] and Polo Ralph Lauren[13] are just a few of the brands that turned to Charitybuzz to help them give back. Later that year, the company moved its headquarters and staff from Connecticut to an 8,000 square foot office at 437 Fifth Avenue in New York City.[14]

In 2011, Charitybuzz marked $50 million raised for nonprofits and opened its first satellite office in Los Angeles.[15] In early 2012, the company added Macy’s Chief Stores Officer Peter Sachse to its Board of Directors.[16] In 2012, Charitybuzz launched a new celebrity concierge service for charity called "Do Good Dream Big," where bidders could request customized celebrity access for a minimum donation of $20,000.[3] To support the company's rapid expansion, Charitybuzz unveiled a brand refresh in April 2013 featuring an updated logo with a more modern aesthetic.

Charitybuzz has become the best-known avenue for charities to raise funds. However, they are not the first or only ones to offer celebrity experiences. CharityFolks, Hollywood Charity Auctions and Bidding for Good are also well-established.

Business Model

By auctioning luxury items and celebrity-backed experiences through the internet to tens of thousands of bidders worldwide, Charitybuzz is able to raise funds for a multitude of foundations and non-profits.[17] Charitybuzz's staff of 40 provides comprehensive auction services for more than 1,000 nonprofit clients, as well as cause marketing support for many for-profit brands looking to enhance their corporate philanthropy programs. Charitybuzz auction specialists work closely with each organization to build auctions that generate awareness and meet fundraising goals.[4] There are no upfront fees to work with Charitybuzz. At the end of each auction, Charitybuzz keeps 20 percent to cover its operating costs.[7] The company says it has a 95 percent client retention rate.[4]

Top Auction Items

Charitybuzz auctions have included:

Charity Partners

Auction proceeds support the work of nonprofit organizations including: Action Against Hunger, American Red Cross, Art of Elysium, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Central Park Conservancy, Chris Evert Charities, City Harvest Food Rescue, Conservation International, Diamond Empowerment Fund, Doctors Without Borders, Do Something, Eric Trump Foundation, Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, GLSEN, Garden of Dreams, Habitat for Humanity, HELP USA, Jayni & Chevy Chase's Green Schools Initiative, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Kristen Ann Carr Fund, LIFEbeat, Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program, Musicians On Call, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Women in Communications, New York Restoration Project, Noreen Fraser Foundation, North Shore Animal League, Oceana, Oxfam International, Partners in Health, Polo Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Fund, Project Angel Food, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Rosie's Theater Kids, Rush Philanthropic, Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, Save the Children, Share our Strength, Songwriter's Hall of Fame, Somaly Mam Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation, Ted Turner's Captain Planet, Tibet House, The Jorge Posada Foundation, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Warhol Museum, Tony Bennett's Exploring The Arts, US Fund for UNICEF, VH1 Save the Music Foundation and more.[23]

Celebrity Participants

Aerosmith,[24]Jennifer Aniston,[5] Lady Antebellum,[24] Judd Apatow,[1] Lance Armstrong,[5] Antonio Banderas,[10] Beyonce, Justin Bieber,[1] Steve Case,[1] James Cameron,[22] Kristin Chenoweth,[10] Kenny Chesney,[24] Kelly Clarkson,[24] Bill Clinton,[19] Coldplay,[24] Kenneth Cole,[11] Sean "Diddy" Combs,[11] Bradley Cooper,[25] Alan Cumming,[10] Johnny Depp,[19] Celine Dion,[24] Simon Doonan,[22] The Edge,[22] Melissa Etheridge,[24] Edie Falco,[10] Jenna Fisher,[1] Harrison Ford,[19] Shepard Fairey,[22] Lady Gaga,[21] Whoopi Goldberg,[10] Kelsey Grammer,[10] Cee-Lo Green,[1] John Grisham,[26] Neil Patrick Harris,[10] Tony Hawk,[1] Scarlett Johansson,[10] Jonah Hill,[1] Tommy Hilfiger,[11] Jay-Z,[21] Hugh Jackman,[25] Lebron James,[13] Elton John,[19] Betsey Johnson,[11] Bon Jovi,[25] Mindy Kaling,[27] Donna Karan,[1] Calvin Klein,[11] Anna Kournikova,[1] Michael Kors,[11] Jane Krakowski,[10] Emeril Lagasse,[11] Karl Lagerfeld,[19] Miranda Lambert,[24] Nathan Lane,[10] Angela Lansbury,[10] Cyndi Lauper,[10] Ralph Lauren,[11] Jeremy Lin,[18] John Lithgow,[10] Demi Lovato,[28] Ricky Martin,[25] Paul McCartney,[19] Sarah McLachlan,[24] Tim McGraw,[24] Sienna Miller,[10] Bebe Neuwirth,[10] Cynthia Nixon,[10] BJ Novak,[27] Robert Pattinson,[5] Michael Phelps[25] Grace Potter,[24] Chita Rivera,[10] Rachel Roy,[11] Liev Schreiber,[10] Seal,[24] Jerry Seinfeld,[13] Paul Simon,[19] Jessica Simpson,[11] Bruce Springsteen,[24] Howard Stern,[19] Martha Stewart,[11] Ben Stiller,[1] Meryl Streep,[22] Taylor Swift,[21] James Taylor,[24] Donald Trump,[1] Tom Watson,[22] Prince William,[22] Vanessa Williams,[10] One Direction,[29][30] Oprah Winfrey,[19] Catherine Zeta-Jones[10] and others.

External links

Charitybuzz http://www.charitybuzz.com

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Boyd Meyers, Courtney. "Lunch with Luke Skywalker? charitybuzz announces its holiday auction". The Next Web. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  2. ^ "Charitybuzz Home Page". Charitybuzz. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Garcia, Courtney. "Charitable group offers "concierge" access to stars". Reuters. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Moran, Gwen. "Charitybuzz's Big Idea: Altruistic Online Auctions". Entrepreneur. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d Sweet, Katherine. "Charitybuzz: Online luxe auctions that make a difference". Lady Luxe. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  6. ^ "Charitybuzz". Crunchbase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Cole, Patrick. "Jay-Z's New Year's Eve, LeBron Jersey Fuel Charitybuzz Auctions". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Hacket, Larry. "Editor's Letter". People Magazine. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  9. ^ Michaud, Chris. "Artists, designers join forces for green auction". Reuters. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Zinderman, Carly. "Charitybuzz and Audemars Piguet Watches Join Forces for Charity". International Business Times. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Have Jessica Simpson's Christmas Tree in Your Home this Holiday". People StyleWatch. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Valdes-Dapena, Peter. "First Chevy Volt: Sold! for $225,000". CNN Money. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Tourtellotte, Bob. "Ralph Lauren auctions his world -- for cancer". Reuters. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  14. ^ Souccar, Miriam. "Charitybuzz, in growth mode, moves to Manhattan". Crain's New York. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  15. ^ "Charitybuzz Opens Los Angeles Satellite Office". Charitybuzz. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  16. ^ "Peter Sachse Joins Charitybuzz Board". WWD. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  17. ^ Sniderman, Zachary. "What Makes the Most Influential Social Good Champtions Tick?". Mashable. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  18. ^ a b Levinson, Mason. "Jeremy Lin's Knicks Jersey From Kobe Bryant Contest Auctioned For $42,388". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Prois, Jessica. "Bill Clinton Pulls In Highest Bid In CharityBuzz Celebrity Auction". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  20. ^ Palmeri, Christopher. "Vanity Fair Oscar Party Invites Draw $100,000 Prices At Charity Auctions". Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Weisman, Aly. "Presenting the Most Over-the-Top Expensive Celebrity Charity Auctions of the Year". Business Insider. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Jay-Z Tops List of Super Celebrity Fundraisers of 2010". Tonic. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  23. ^ "Dedicated to helping charities prospe". Charitybuzz. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Coldplay, Aerosmith, Springsteen & More Meet Fans For Charity". PopYouLarity. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  25. ^ a b c d e Wellen, Brad. "People Marks 25 Years Of "Sexiest Man Alive" By Raking In Money For Charity". Mediabistro. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  26. ^ Driscoll, Molly. "Name that character in John Grisham's new novel". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  27. ^ a b "Auction: Lunch with Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak". Office Tally. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  28. ^ Michaels, Wendy. "Demi Lovato Auctions Tickets, Plus Meet and Greet for a Great Cause". Cambio. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  29. ^ "Be a VIP When You Meet One Direction". Charitybuzz. Charitybuzz Inc. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  30. ^ "2012 VIP Tickets Available Now on CharityBuzz". Onedirectionmusic.com. Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
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