Milestone Validates Gather as a Place Where Members are
Creating Great Experiences
BOSTON, MA, June 17, 2009 -Gather, the leading social network to make new friends and form new social circles, today announced that its members have exceeded $500,000 in total earnings by redeeming Gather PointsTM. Since the beginning, the Gather Points program has been a popular site feature that rewards members for creating great experiences for the community. With the economic downturn, Gather Points has become an even more important member benefit. Since the start of 2009, members have redeemed over $85,000 in points they have put towards everything from home improvement projects and family vacations to summer fun for the kids. Members also donate points to not for profit organizations they support.
Members earn Gather Points for creating high quality content that drives site participation and attracts new audiences. Those points can then be exchanged for PayPalTM payments and gift cards that can be used to shop online or in popular retail outlets.
Key facts:
- Gather is the leading social network to make new friends and form new social circles
- Gather brings people together around the things they love to do and want to talk about
- Gather members earn Gather PointsTM for creating great experiences and conversations on the site
- Gather Points can be exchanged for PayPal payments and gift cards that can be used to shop online or in popular retail outlets
Quotes:
"Our members create the Gather experience for one another. The Gather Points system was developed as a way to reward members who spend time bringing people together around the things they love to do and want to talk about," says Tom Gerace, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gather (http://tomgerace.gather.com/). "The experiences they create serve as ice breakers that allow people to easily make new friends."
"Gather Points have helped me buy the extra things that my kids have asked for without having to break the bank!" said Bridget A., a Gather Member who has earned $2,460 since joining the site in 2007. (http://cheekymommaof2.gather.com/) "I used my earnings from Gather Points to entirely fund our 2008 summer vacation to the Oregon Coast, where I also got to meet a fellow Gather member."
"I have been a cash earner since Gather rolled out points spending in 2006," said Monica Kennedy of Tennessee (http://crochetbymonica.gather.com), who has earned over $2,800 sharing her crochet expertise with the community. "The money I have earned at Gather -- doing what I love and had done elsewhere for free -- has become more than extra cash for family fun. It has turned into a real, viable business for me."
Resources:
Gather Website (http://www.gather.com)
About Gather Points (http://www.gather.com/GatherPoints.jsp)
How to Earn More Points (http://earnmorepoints.gather.com)
CEO Blog (http://tomgerace.gather.com)
Gather Moms on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/gathermoms)
Tom Gerace on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/tomgerace)
About Gather
Gather is the leading social network to make new friends and form new social circles. Most people want more friends to share some aspect of their lives and Gather brings people together around the things they love to do and want to talk about. Gather is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Investors include Allen & Company, The American Public Media Group, Hearst, The McGraw-Hill Companies, and Southern California Public Radio. For more information, visit www.gather.com.
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Comments: 16 ( 1 removed by Lisa W. )
wow. that is a real milestone. A great thing to announce to the press world.
Wow that is great
Wow, that's quite an accomplishment! What can I say? Gather is terrific!
Wow we are a part of this! That is cool!
Point of clarification:
"Members also donate points to not for profit organizations they support."
Those "organizations" are one's designated by Gather!
Members can only choose to "support" organizations that Gather has deemed worthy. These are limited to Minnesota public radio and a disabled veterans group. What a choice! Not all "not-for-profit" are equal. Many have very high "operating" expenses and only a tiny percentage of the money ever reaches the people or causes the donations were meant to support.
Why doesn't Gather support the Red Cross?
Or the United Way (though UW has had bad mgt and been investigated in some areas for excessively high expense ratios in the past).
Great press release. Wonderful news.
Good for you!
This is fantastic news!
The members of other social network sites should be jealous.
That is amazing!
Awesome news!
I am glad there are a few who can pay for vacations and other items with thier earnings.
That is not typical for the average Gather member though.
Has anyone used a good stretch mark cream before? My wife is looking for one. Thanks in advance.