TheKnot.com Teams Up With CrowdRise To Launch Crowdsourced Wedding Charity Registry Program

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TheKnot.com, the #1 wedding planning resource, today announced the launch of its Charity Registry Program powered by CrowdRise, the leading micro-fundraising site benefiting nonprofit organizations. Couples who are passionate about giving back can now choose from 1 million+ nonprofit organizations to create their own charity registry so that guests can make donations as their wedding gift. 

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"Brides and grooms love having donations to their favorite charity alongside traditional gifts on their gift registries, and guests feel good 'buying' them!" says Carley Roney, cofounder and editor in chief of TheKnot.com. "We are thrilled to partner with CrowdRise to build out TheKnot.com Charity Registry Program because of its innovative ability to make fundraising fresh, fun and completely viral through a social community."

"TheKnot.com Charity Registry Program is awesome and reflects the notion that people want their own philanthropic narrative to be part of everything they do," says CrowdRise Cofounder Robert Wolfe. "People giving to people who are doing something amazing for charity is so much more personal than people giving directly to a charity. I'm confident that weddings will become one of the most notable ways that people choose to give back."

To help raise awareness for the Charity Registry Program, TheKnot.com has also partnered with Runaway Bridesmaids, a trio of female travelers and authors who've gathered a team of more than 100 friends, boyfriends, husbands and colleagues to run the New York Road Runners Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City on September 22, 2012. Runaway Bridesmaids Holly Corbett, Amanda Pressner and Jennifer Baggett and their friends all plan to run in bridesmaid attire (even the men!).

Amanda Pressner and her fiancé will run the mile as TheKnot.com Charity Registry's "First Couple" to raise money to help fight sex trafficking through New Light, an organization that provides shelters, healthcare and education for women and children in India's largest red-light district.

Amanda and four additional Runaway Bridesmaids will run the ING New York City Marathon on November 4 fully dressed in their bridesmaid attire to show their charitable support.

"It's so important to give back, and the new Charity Registry Program from TheKnot.com makes it easy for you to use your wedding day to do good," says newly engaged Runaway Bridesmaid Amanda Pressner. "Because we're getting married in our 30s, my fiancé Jason and I have already acquired many of the household items—like linens, dishes and flatware—you might find on a traditional registry. Rather than replacing what we already own, we've encouraged our guests to channel their generosity to a cause that we believe in by making donations through our charity registry. Even a modest donation to Runaway Bridesmaids will go a long way toward helping women in need start a wonderful new life of their own."

For more information on the Charity Registry Program available at TheKnot.com, visit the TheKnot.com/CharityRegistry.

About TheKnot.com

The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching nearly every bride in America through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com; The Knot national and local wedding magazines; The Knot book series; and syndicated columns in newspapers nationwide. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO; http://www.xogroupinc.com), a global media and technology leader devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Follow The Knot on Twitter @theknot.

About CrowdRise.com

CrowdRise is a fundraising site dedicated to the idea that raising money for charity and giving back has got to be fun. CrowdRise's custom-built platform and game mechanics provide fundraisers, charities and events with a unique way to raise the most money for their causes and share compelling philanthropic stories with their personal networks. The site lets anyone turn their friends into an active base of donors for any cause.

In 2011 CrowdRise topped Mashable's list of "Most Innovative Crowdfunding Platforms" and was named a "Top 25 Best Global Philanthropist" by Barron's. CrowdRise was founded by actor and activist Edward Norton, producer Shauna Robertson, and the founders of Moosejaw, Robert and Jeffro Wolfe.

Thousands of charitable organizations, events, celebrities and everyday donors have made CrowdRise their philanthropic base for giving back.

CONTACT:            

Melissa Bach
Public Relations Manager
The Knot
(212) 515-3594
mbach@xogrp.com

Aaron Gannon
SunshineSachs (CrowdRise PR)
(212) 691-2800
Gannon@sunshinesachs.com

Holly C. Corbett
Runaway Bridesmaids Founder
The Lost Girls
(917) 628-9420
hollyc@lostgirlsworld.com

SOURCE TheKnot.com