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Innovate Western New York: A modern solution to fundraising

There's a mobile app out right now that offers a modern solution to your typical fundraising.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - There's a mobile app out right now that offers a modern solution to your typical fundraising.

"Simple Fund" is an app that allows you to raise money for non-profits in the palm of your hand.  Once you install the app, you pick articles to read, apps to install, videos to watch or surveys to take.  For each task you complete, you are rewarded with points, which in turn translate into dollars.

"Those advertisers are willing to pay for your attention. And so from our point of view, why not take that money and move it over to the non-profits if they're willing to pay for your attention," said Simple Fund CEO and Western New Yorker Jon Carmen.

Carmen says once you've completed activities and added up points, you can then transfer the money to any of the more than one million non-profits on record with Simple Fund. And if you don't see the non-profit you want, you can always suggest it.

"It could be your kid's school, PTA, could be a church, youth sports team, high school marching band, or even the Food Bank of WNY," said Carmen.

The idea was generated after one of Carmen's kids came home from school one day with an assignment to collect boxtops. Carmen now uses his own app to send dollars to his kid's school and reports that other parents and kids are adopting the app as a way to bring in money, too. 

"The end goal is to create a sustainable company in WNY where we can hire local WNY employees and grow the company locally," said Carmen.

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