Google Donates to Charity "on behalf of vendors"

[rustybrick]

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System: The following 17 messages were cut out of thread at: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google_adsense/4036265.htm [webmasterworld.com] by martinibuster - 12:46 pm on Dec. 22, 2009 (utc -8)

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Seems like Google sent out $20 million as a holiday gift, but to charity. TC has details [techcrunch.com...]

[HuskyPup]

It looks like Google has sent out a message to all AdSense and AdWords partners letting them know that they’ve decided to do “something a little different this year.” Clicking on the link in the email takes you to a page letting you know that Google is giving $20 million to a group of charity as its holiday gift to everyone this year.

Looks like their e-mail server is as slow as their support response time...I've not seen an e-mail!

[netmeg]

I must have gotten yours - I've got about six of them so far.

[WolfLover]

Duh, I need to read the whole convo first. lol

[kd454]

Adsense enabled me to leave my job and be fine, I am very grateful for Google and Adsense. That a good gift if you ask me :) Thanks!

[BillyS]

I just got the letter, very nice. Good work Google.

[Waypointer]

Just got that email indicating that the Google present to us this year is their commitment of $20 million to a selected list of charities... "because charities are experiencing their toughest year in decades." Fine with me.

[hannamyluv]

Merry Christmas, Adsense Team!

Myself and my family thank you for providing an income stream that just did not exist 10 years ago. :)

Partly because of Adsense, I have all I want and need and more. It is best that Google donates so that others might also have that as well, especially those who are furthest from that blessing at this time.

[HuskyPup]

I just got the letter

Obviously my earnings are so low that I don't even reach the threshold of a free e-mail!

[WolfLover]

HuskyPup, I have not gotten this email either.

[HuskyPup]

Netmeg's got them all:-)

[icedowl]

I got my email this morning. Very nice and very nicely done! Merry Christmas!

An email was all I ever hoped for in past years. Now I just wish there was a way to suggest a charity that isn't on their list.

[netmeg]

I got another today! They're really blanketing me.

[WolfLover]

netmeg, they really want YOU to know about this for some reason. Some of us, they don't care if we know! lol

[rocker]

I also received the email. Thanks Google

I got another today! They're really blanketing me.

netmeg, aren't you an AdWords Pro? Maybe they are sending you one for every account you manage :)

[netmeg]

Could be. They're coming in on all kinds of email addresses. Haven't really stopped to tally up.

Or maybe they're just trying to get me to shut up and stop bitching.

[as if]

[edited by: netmeg at 8:14 pm (utc) on Dec. 22, 2009]

[indigojo]

Just got mine, very calculated and a wise move.

[edited by: martinibuster at 8:54 pm (utc) on Dec. 22, 2009]
[edit reason] Spelling. [/edit]

[martinibuster]

It's calculated? Is it possible our conversation here encouraged Google to think about what to do for the holidays?

Here is the official Google web page for the holiday gift (thanks httpwebwitch for the link:)):
[google.com...]

Here is a list of charities receiving a gift:

Feeding America
Boys and Girls Clubs
Smile Train
CARE, Mothers Matter
World Wildlife Fund, Natural Capital Project
Mobile Creches
Prajwala
HEAL Africa
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
The Mango Tree
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Harlem Children's Zone
Save the Children, Latin America focus
Reporters Without Borders
Witness
Loud Against Nazis
Global Voices
Ushahidi
Save the Children, Middle East and Eurasia focus
Grupo Cultural Afro Reaggae
Ashesi University College, Ghana
Pratham
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience
Shin Shin Educational Foundation
Tzu Chi Foundation

[Leosghost]

Just after the UK press got the figure ( and went public with it ..under £ 6,000.oo on a profit of over £1.5 billion ) about how little they give compared with their UK earnings came out ..lots of PR dept activity ..too late ..the truth about their charitable activities ..got there first ..

giving after one has been shown ( called on it ) to be mean spirited ..isn't the same as just giving ..hypocritical and spin appear to be the new corporate mottos ..

Good the money went out
But..

They had to be shamed into doing this ..that says a huge amount about their real ethics ..

[WolfLover]

Well, I just got my email.

[Brett_Tabke]

Lets get real. A $20m tax write off to charity has nothing to do with AdSense or AdWords swag gifts. If you were expecting a gift from Google - you got stiffed. Your "gift" did not go to charity. If it did go to charity in your name, then ask Google for documentation to that effect so that you can take it off your taxes. To even mention the two in the same breath is a disservice to the charities and to AdSense operators. Google gives money every year to charity - so do alot of businesses. $20 million isn't even good pocket changes to google. These two events are totally unrelated. Nothing but political pr slight-of-hand at work.

[Webwork]

Everyone who contributed to G's success - from the advertisers who paid into G's bank account and indirectly funded this generosity, to the publishers whose on-site ad placements yielded the clicks that allowed G to "keep the (advertiser's) money", to Google, for running an amazing enterprise, ALL deserve - if not "the credit" - at least honorable mention . . for being part of that which made this act of "corporate generosity" possible. It's all about ALL the people.

Kudos to ALL and for all a small round of applause, for everyone . .

. . and to all a good night. :)

[WolfLover]

Well, my goodness, Brett! I had not thought of it this way. I've been with AdSense since 2003 and I make a decent 4 figures a month but I've never received one gift. Not that I was expecting to, just wonder about the criteria that it takes to get one.

Oh well, Merry Christmas anyway! I'm happy with my AdSense earnings, so I'm not complaining.

[Gomvents]

I just got the email, while I think it's great that the money is going to good charities this was much cheaper for them than sending out gifts as they've done before as well as it's not doing anything to improve their relations with webmasters. They should put $20M into a customer service dept account!

[StoutFiles]

Hurray for tax write offs! Hurray for PR moves!

[kaz]

Hurray for $20 million to charity!

Thank you Google Team, Merry Christmas. Keep spreading the joy!

[smartwork]

In the past, haven't the gifts been relative to your level of spending?

[hannamyluv]

Your right, Brett. Money from swag gifts did not fund this. But does that matter? I want to know where making money meant you had to give money. How many "I make 6 figures (plus)" website owners around here are giving anything back, even .02%? And that's ok because it is their money, but then we need to acknowledge that when they do, they have done good.

Call me granola, that is just how I am.

Budgets are directly related to companies corporate giving. Maybe they don't say swag = charitable giving, but they do say hey, we have a little more money, so we can give charitably.

I always hated that people discounted MS's giving as well. They don't have to give a cent. that is the point. And honestly, can any of us say we have donated as much? Even percent wise?

This year has been a hard one on many I knew and amazing for myself and my very close own. I was able to help out alot of people because of my adsense income. That was a gift in itself. So the fact that I did not get a light up funky radio with a Google logo may or may not have been the reason that they gave, but it sure as hell helped just a little for their bean counters to say that they had enough excess cash laying around so they could do so.

[tstaheli]

I must admit, I felt the same way as Brett when I opened the email this morning. Nice PR but what of the rest of the charities?

[frontpage]

Here is a list of charities receiving a gift:

Wrong. Here is a list of charities receiving a 'commitment' for a gift.

Big difference until you actually pony up the cash.

Note the fine print.

* Current list of intended recipients

Let's see, in 2009 Google's NET earnings was $7,284,000,000 and they donated a measily $20 million to charity on behalf of it's main source of revenue.

Wow, color me unimpressed during this 'holiday' season.

Google, one of the biggest corporations in the world, $20 million, hell, Brad Pit donated $6.8 million himself last year.

[edited by: frontpage at 11:17 pm (utc) on Dec. 22, 2009]