Patents Assigned to cMarket, Inc.
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Publication number: 20080065513Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online, including online hosting of auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. A consignment database enables organizations to build catalogs using items made available from a consignment catalog for inclusion in an auction or raffle. Also disclosed is a sponsor engine that enables registered donors to contribute all or a portion of the cost of a consignment item. The sponsor engine uses the cost of the item and the number of desirable donors to suggest a plurality of sponsorship levels, for example $50, $100, $150. The sponsor engine computes and compares the total of received sponsorship dollars with the cost of the consignment item, and either closes sponsorships once the price has been reached or instantiate a new similar consignment item.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2007Publication date: March 13, 2008Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory C. McHale, Paul Sheppard, Todd K. Rodgers
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Publication number: 20070043629Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online, including online hosting of auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed is a consignment database that enables organizations to build catalogs using items made available from a consignment catalog for inclusion in an auction or raffle. An organization profile is used to determine which items can be selected from the consignment catalog, reserving high value items for high profile events. A consignment registration function/module enables tracking of virtual consigned merchandise, including a inventory control function that monitors which items are referenced by which charitable organizations, auctions and catalogs.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2006Publication date: February 22, 2007Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Paul Sheppard, Todd Rodgers
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Publication number: 20050246265Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2005Publication date: November 3, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050228742Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, participants of a competitive fund raising event such as a walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon, climb-a-thon, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2004Publication date: October 13, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050228745Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, an organization can embed a promotion within an on-line auction to encourage bidding from a constituency. The promotion (“bid to win”) button or link can be automatically be embedded on each web page and in each auction communication.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2005Publication date: October 13, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050228744Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, an organization can, as part of the auction preferences, include the ability to suggest a ‘round up’ amount to any winning bidder. If enabled, the system will automatically suggest a ‘round up’ purchase price above the winning bid.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2005Publication date: October 13, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050228746Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, sponsor information is published as part of a virtual catalog or as part of sponsor pages accessible via the auction web site. The organization can determine, in advance, the size of a sponsor ad based upon the value donated by the sponsor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2005Publication date: October 13, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050080714Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, individual auction items in the auction catalog or database may be combined into a single item to create a new ‘parent’ item with a parent item name and parent fair market value and which functions similar to other auction items.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050080713Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. Also disclosed are a plurality of on-line, web-based tools, including tools for: 1) building a customized homepage reflecting the look and feel of the nonprofit organization; 2) building a customized catalog that allows for easy addition of items and pictures; and 3) enhanced email messaging that lets a nonprofit organization reach its constituents. According to one aspect of the invention, a nonprofit organization may request their constituents to donate items for an auction catalog, through either an email with an embedded link or icon that leads to a catalog item entry web page.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib
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Publication number: 20050080715Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and program code that enable a nonprofit organization to manage its fundraising activities online. Disclosed are methods and systems for providing online hosting of fundraising auctions, and auction services such as maintaining donor/bidder registries, bid tracking, processing credit cards, and auction closeout activities. According to one aspect of the invention, an event scheduler automatically calculates a plurality of event milestones both before and after the events. The user to enter. Based on a designated date for either a physical or virtual auction, the event scheduler 1) creates a series of tasks, such as auction announcement, auction RSVP, first catalog publication, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Applicant: cMarket, Inc.Inventors: Gregory McHale, Carl Maib