MyFax Piggybacks on Pink: Links One Dollar Donation to Cancer for New Accounts

In the Good News: Bad News department, a note from Marie Grimaldi let me know that Ottawa-based MyFax, one of the leading Internet fax providers, has agreed to donate $1 to the Canadian Caner Society for every new MyFax account opened between now and June 20.

The money going to a good cause, and I applaud the effort to go green w/ paperless faxing since according to Energy Star, fax machines are one of the most energy-intensive pieces of equipment in your office. The energy vampires constantly draw power because they need to be available at any hour to receive a fax.

But what is sad is that MyFax folks chose not to donate the cost of even one month's service fee when a new user signs up. In my view, donating a dollar when the fee to users will be anything between $120 and $500 the first year is insulting to the cancer community and frankly a disappointment. I not only think they can do better; I think we should expect better.

At least at first blush, piggybacking a sales effort to the whole pink marketing of the cancer machine makes me suspicious of a company's true nature. In an odd twist it seems as if they are less than the generous community-aware folks they'd like to look like. And a dollar donation is shameful.

What do YOU think? Tell me why I'm wrong. Are they a poor startup starved for cash and with a tiny profit margin? I might agree with you if that's the case. What are other good reasons the dollar fee is so low?

Comments

[Internet Fax Guide]

Well, a dollar is better than nothing. But you're right this is probably a marketing ploy which you really can't blame MyFax for trying. Companies take advantage of donations like this all the time to gain some attention - why single out this company.

MyFax also has a "green" campaign since email fax is paperless. They use this angle to also help market their online fax service. Imagine if you had to "dish" all the companies that uses this "green" marketing angle... many could be sincere but I doubt all of them are.

Just my two cents...

Cheers,

TH

www.internetfaxguide.org

[Sue Rutherford]

Susan,

My name is Sue Rutherford and I work for MyFax. I saw your post and thank you for mentioning our $1 donation offer on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. I was disheartened, however, to see you questioning the company’s motives and the amount it has chosen to give. What you’re probably not aware of is that this latest promotion is just one of many ongoing fundraising efforts we have made on its behalf.

Relay for Life is our charity of choice, as selected by our employees. Over the years we have raised a great deal of money in support of this cause. In fact, in 2007 we were recognized locally for most funds raised by a corporation. All of this was done through internal staff fund raising initiatives including Friday bagels, barbecues, bake sales, raffles, etc. which was supported by corporate management.

The reason you may not have been aware of all of this is we at MyFax are not working with Relay for Life in order to receive public accolades. Rather, we take very seriously our corporate citizenship responsibility and our collective personal desire to raise awareness and funds to further assist in the research for a cure.

You should also know that the MyFax corporate family recently lost one of our own to cancer. That was the spur for our latest effort at the corporate level – which incidentally based on the average number of new subscriptions each month, we would hope to contribute up to an additional $15,000 that wasn’t available before. Seeing this person’s story, along with others that have touched us in their fight for life, is what has created the common bond to do something more.

The Canadian Cancer Society is an organization that supports a cause that means as much to us as it does to you. It’s not our first effort, and it won’t be the last.

Speaking personally, I am proud to work for a company that is willing to contribute to this cause, as well as one that recognizes the significance of sharing in their employees’ drive and determination in attaining a work/life balance. And I am heartened that MyFax has stepped up to support this cause with corporate donations above and beyond those funds contributed through staff endeavors.