LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just in time for the new school year, edRover™, a high-tech solution designed to counteract educational funding cuts, officially launches today. Educators, parents and business leaders gathered at an event in northern Los Angeles County last night to learn about edRover, the first location-based mobile app for school fundraising.
edRover was developed by Tania Mulry, a Santa Clarita Valley mother of three. A former banking exec and veteran mobile marketer, Mulry recognized that schools were suffering devastating financial cuts and existing fundraising programs were not always productive.
"Every mother, every teacher and every vendor can embrace the need to support our children's education, and edRover literally puts it in the palm of your hand," said Ben Hope, senior vice president and chief information officer for FOX Networks Group and edRover board member. "Tania, a true visionary, created a simple-to-use mobile app that is nothing short of brilliant."
edRover allows consumers to earn funds for teaching supplies at the school of their choice while using their cell phones to "check in" where they shop, eat and play – at stores, restaurants, libraries and more. No purchase is required to trigger a donation from a participating business.
Another way to help is by making online purchases from edRover's website or the mobile application from any one of the affiliate retailers, a donation of up to 25 percent of the total purchase is directed to the educational program of the consumer's choice. edRover has established partnerships with more than 100 top retailers, including AT&T, Barnes & Noble, Foot Locker, GameStop, iTunes, JCPenney, Microsoft and PetSmart.
Each time a user makes a purchase from participating retailers' e-commerce site or checks into a sponsored location, edRover directs funds to its partner, ClassWish.org, where PTA/PTO leaders and teachers can build wish lists of the materials they need for their students.
edRover's users then select which school and wish list they want to support. Through ClassWish.org, funds are used to obtain educational supplies for classrooms, art, music, science, gym, sports and after-school programs. edRover supports a national database of more than 100,000 schools.
"edRover effectively allows every parent and school supporter to become 'pocket philanthropists' as they support their children's education, while supporting businesses that give to schools, with no purchase necessary," said Mulry. "Parents are overwhelmed by the constant flow of fundraising requests, and not everyone is able to participate, due to their household budgets. But studies show that 80 percent of consumers are more likely to buy from companies that support a cause like education. We believe edRover is a triple win for parents, schools and businesses."
The free app is currently available for iPhone and Windows Phone platforms, and will be coming to Android and Blackberry phones later in 2011.
During the launch event held in Santa Clarita, Scott Wilk Jr., Los Angeles County District Representative for Senator Tony Strickland, presented Mulry with a Certificate of Commendation on behalf of Senator Strickland's office. The recognition praised Mulry for her efforts in raising funds for schools.
"Like any dream, bringing edRover to life required hard work, passion, and unfaltering dedication," noted Wilk. "Through tenacity and leadership Tania was able to pull it off in less than a year, but the dream won't be complete until every school in America is benefiting from the funds that edRover is on track to generate for education."
Two leading technology companies have already recognized the innovative program. AT&T selected edRover as a top winner in its "Open Call – Apps for All" competition, and it received Microsoft's "Fast Pitch" grand prize. edRover is currently a finalist for StayClassy's CLASSY Awards Top Philanthropic Small Business of the Year.
About EdRover Inc.
edRover Inc. is a California Public Benefit Corporation that aligns businesses' marketing goals with parents' dedication to their children's education and to schools' fundraising needs. Its' new location-aware mobile application and companion e-commerce portal, edRover, facilitates donations from caring businesses to local schools, and in turn drives parents, students and educators to support those businesses. More information can be found at http://www.edrover.com/, on Facebook or on Twitter.
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Contact:
Carol Stevenson
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carolstevenson@cspr.biz
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