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DOING GOOD ONE SEARCH OR ONE PURCHASE AT A TIME!

Supporters of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary can now use GoodSearch and GoodShop to raise money with every search of the Internet and every purchase on-line.

Pittsburgh, PA – April 17, 2009 -- What if even a fraction of the $140 billion generated by search engine advertisers* and online shopping was directed toward the training of pastors and other church leaders at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS)?

That is the concept behind GoodSearch.com a new search engine powered by Yahoo!  GoodSearch donates 50 percent of its revenue, approximately a penny per search, to the charities designated by its users.  People use it exactly as they would any other search engine and the pennies add up quickly – just 500 people searching four times a day will earn around $7,300 in a year.  It does not cost the users anything.

Similarly with GoodShop.com, consumers are helping their favorite causes by shopping at hundreds of well known retailers including Amazon, Target, Apple, Macy’s, Best Buy, Orbitz, Staples and others. The shopping experience and the prices are exactly the same as going to the retailer directly, but by going through GoodShop, up to 37 percent of the purchase price is donated the user’s favorite cause.

RPTS recently registered with the sites, giving its supporters a chance to raise money for the cause every time they search the Internet or shop online.  Money raised this year through GoodSearch and GoodShop will be used toward the start up costs of the new RPTS Biblical Counseling Institute that will be housed in a building the seminary is renovating at 7401 Penn Avenue, slated to open for training in September at the start of its 2009 academic year.

More than 72,000 nonprofits and schools are now registered with GoodSearch and GoodShop and more than 100 charities and schools are registering daily.  GoodSearch has quickly spread via word-of-mouth and the blogger community.  Examples of other organizations listed on the site include:  The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which has earned more than $10,000; The ASPCA which has raised more than $23,000; and The Bubel/Aiken Foundation which supports children with disabilities and has earned more than $12,000.

Using GoodSearch is simple. Because the site is powered by Yahoo, users are assured of high quality results - but each time you search, money is generated by the advertisers for your favorite charity or school. 

“Every penny counts”, says Dr. Jerry O’Neill, president of RPTS.  “While doing a search or shopping online why not raise money for our cause?”

“We know there are a lot of people who want to do good but may not have the time or the money to help out.” said Ken Ramberg, Co-Founder of GoodSearch and former President of MonsterTRAK, the largest online career site for college students (now a division of Monster.com). “GoodSearch and GoodShop make it as easy as possible.  We’ve taken something people do every day -- searching the Internet and shopping online -- and have turned it into doing good."

* Source: SEMPO survey