Microsoft sponsors instant messaging for charity

Seventy students from various colleges across the nation are promoting an initiative that raises money for nine of the world’s largest nonprofit companies. \nThe program, called “i’m making a difference,” was created by Microsoft Corp. to boost the usage of its Windows Live Messenger.\nBut it also raises money for a variety of charities, said IU junior and Windows Live Messenger Representative Meg Sturman. The charities are the American Red Cross, the National AIDS Fund, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Sierra Club, StopGlobalWarming.org, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, ninemillion.org, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and UNICEF. \nFor each instant message sent through Windows Live Messenger until May 15, Microsoft will donate a portion of advertising funds toward a chosen company, said Brandon Evans, managing director of RepNation, which is helping Microsoft promote the program. Upon switching to Windows Live Messenger, users may select from the nine nonprofit companies. \n“Just by having an IM conversation as they normally would, each individual person can select a charity that means the most to them,” Evans said, “and they can identify what charity to give the money towards as they’re IM’ing.”\nMicrosoft hired RepNation to find students to be in charge of promoting the program on their campuses, Sturman said. Each of the 35 participating colleges has two representatives. Sturman and sophomore William Dunn are the representatives at IU.\nSturman said she and Dunn have posted fliers, given in-class presentations, organized raffles, visited dormitories, attended events associated with the organizations and communicated with students via the Internet. The team has a goal to reach 500 users at IU before the May 15 deadline. \nDunn said he created a way for companies and groups of fewer than 75 people to get involved in the program by offering to donate an additional $2 per person to one of the nonprofit companies they choose when signing up for Windows Live Messenger. \n“I think it’s a really good opportunity for students to contribute to one of the causes that they personally support and feel that they want to make a difference in,” Dunn said. “They can do this without any cost to them. In fact, we’ll pay them to do it.” \nStudents may sign up at www.imforacause.com to get involved with the program, Evans said. Users selecting IU as their school will get Dunn and Sturman closer to their goal.\n“College students are becoming more and more concerned with these issues of helping and giving back,” Evans said. “So it made a lot of sense to target them for this initiative.”