Hello!
I'd like to wish you a happy 2008! It's looking like this is going to be a big year for FreeMesa! We have lots of things going on, so without further ado...
Free Money for Schools!
Even in this modern age, many schools have a hard time getting online and connecting with their communities in meaningful ways. So we thought we could help.
Over the last several months we have been working with the great people at Aptos Academy to add features and fund raising programs to specifically help schools raise money, acquire needed things for the classroom, and help their communities at the same time. We now have a lot to offer schools. It's pretty incredible. So, parents and teachers, watch this quick video and see how it works.
What's New on FreeMesa:
20% Revenue Sharing
FreeMesa.org has had a revenue sharing program to help non-profits for a while now, where organizations would gain 10% of the ad revenue their groups generated.
We have finally been able to expand this program so now groups can realize a full 20% of the ad revenue their groups generate. See how revenue sharing works here.
Custom Ad Campaigns
Schools & Groups can now sell their own advertising, and run their own ad campaigns. Schools can now decide what banners will appear, and place them on their groups. If a school desired, they could have local ads appear that benefit parent owned businesses or companies that donate to the school itself. FreeMesa never touches the money, and 100% of these proceeds go to the schools themselves. See how custom ad campaigns work here.
Charity Wish Lists
Many non-profits and social organizations have standing needs for items. For example homeless shelters are always running out of blankets and constantly need more. We have added a Wish List feature where you can easily see what charities are near by, and what they need. This should greatly help the smaller organizations that are less well known. It is hard for well meaning people to donate if they don't know the groups exist, let alone what they need. This feature should hopefully be able to do a lot of good for a lot of groups.
School Resources
We have added a page dedicated to helping schools create groups and get their communities involved and online. This section walks schools through every step of the way with training videos and documentation, making the entire rollout quick, easy, and painless. School Resources can be found here.
We have a busy year ahead of us, but it will be exciting! Activity is up, the word is getting out, and we are in a better position than ever to help people in real and meaningful ways! So check out the new stuff, get your school involved, and raise some money!
I hope to see you on the Mesa!
Cheers!
-Brian | 
