All -

FACT is pleased to announce at long last we have Ferret Treasures
bedding and gifts online at the Ferret Association of Connecticut
website. You can reach the website at the link below - the direct
link to Ferret Treasures is:
http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/ferrettreasures/StoreFront

We will be adding items over time - but at least many of the key pieces
are there. You can shop and pay online. Please bear with us if we need
to work out any kinks! This is rather new to us.

I am also thrilled to say that we have obtained affiliation status
with several key ferret shopping sites, including The Ferret Store;
Ferret.com; eBay; and a few other groups offering ferret and pet
related items.

While you can always still shop to benefit your cause of choice via
iGive (we have the too!). However, you can ratchet up your donation by
using the FACT link. While the donation will come to FACT, you will at
least double and sometimes almost triple your donation to ferrets. How?

Well, iGive is basically a shopping mall. The donations they make to
causes are after expenses. The donations we receive via purchases made
from a direct link are significantly higher, because we do the work
maintaining the relationship and the website. For example - a purchase
at The Ferret Store via iGive on behalf of FACT generates a 4%
donation. Use the link from the FACT website, and the donation
increases to 10%!!! Yeah - wish we'd done this before Christmas!

Not all companies offer this capability. Many do. Affiliated marketing
is a driving force on the Internet today - and it occurred to us that
it would be far better to try to work directly when we could to
maximize the donations to the shelter.

Now clearly, iGive works superbly! FACT receives a small, but steady
stream of donations from them. Further, we are not staffed to create
nice databases that tell you how much you earned for your charity.
They also maintain shopping deals with hundreds (maybe over 1000 now?)
stores. We are not nearly that ambitious or internet savvy!

But for ferret and pet related sites that ferret owners frequent, we'd
like to offer a way to leverage your donation even further.

The links page is:

http://www.ferret-fact.org/Shopping.htm
We hope you will consider it for your buying and even for your eBay
bidding and buying. It's surprising how fast it accrues! And your
comments on the store and ways to improve the links would be deeply
appreciated!

Thanks to all who have supported FACT and continue to support the
Ferret Association of Connecticut.

Ann Gruden
President - Ferret Association of Connecticut
http://www.ferret-fact.org

[Posted in FML 5482]