Giving Avenue Lets Web Users Donate to Churches for Free

San Diego, CA, June 22, 2001 - Giving Avenue, Inc., an Internet-based Christian fundraising community, today announced the launch of its Web site, GivingAvenue.net. Through partnerships with over 700 leading merchants and popular Web sites, including Dell Computer, American Express, GoTo.com, 1-800-flowers.com, Buy.com and Borders, Giving Avenue allows its members to generate donations for churches or Christian organizations of their choice by taking advantage of the best offers on the Internet or shopping for featured merchandise at no extra cost.

"As Christians ourselves, we understand the importance of giving. We drew on our expansive Internet experience to create Giving Avenue and focus the power of the Internet on making a difference for God," said William Sutjiadi, President and CEO. "Many Christians already use the Internet without generating anything for their churches, organizations, or any of God's causes. But at Giving Avenue, everything they do becomes a gift to God."

Sutjiadi and his partners, Jeff Uyemura, Nelly Sutjiadi and Linda Sutjiadi, are no strangers to the Internet. The four founded one of the Web's largest affiliate program portals in 1998 and, with the help of venture capital, built it into a thriving business. But when the dot-com bubble burst in late 2000, the company's financial backers decided to restructure - and Sutjiadi and the other co-founders found themselves laid off.

"It was hard to believe, after the countless hours we sacrificed, that this had happened to us," Sutjiadi says now. "But we believe that when God closes one door, He opens another. And He did. He inspired and blessed us with a greater idea, this time for His causes." And in February 2001, Giving Avenue was born.

Through Giving Avenue, Christians can direct a portion of their spending to the work of God, at no extra cost. Membership in Giving Avenue is free. Once registered, members automatically create donations for their churches or Christian organizations by visiting partner sites, performing Web searches, signing up for free offers, applying for loans or credit cards, making travel arrangements, renting movies, dining out, and shopping.

At the same time, Christian churches and organizations can generate a free source of recurring donations simply by partnering with Giving Avenue and promoting its services to their members or supporters. Giving Avenue also provides Christians with an opportunity to generate free Bible donations to help relieve the worldwide shortage of Scripture by simply using the Internet. The donations are paid for by Giving Avenue's partners and are distributed to those in need by The Bible League, an international ministry supplying churches and mission organizations in over 40 countries with Bibles, related materials, and training in church planting and Scripture placement.

About Giving Avenue
Located in San Diego, California, Giving Avenue, Inc. was founded in February 2001 by Christian entrepreneurs William Sutjiadi, Nelly Sutjiadi, Jeff Uyemura and Linda Sutjiadi. The site provides Christians with smarter ways of using the Internet for their daily activities and turns those activities into donations for churches and Christian organizations at no extra cost to participants.

For more information or to become a member, log on to http://www.givingavenue.net. Interested churches/organizations may register online or contact Giving Avenue at (858) 279-4463 or partnership@givingavenue.net.

CONTACT:

Giving Avenue, Inc.
Nelly Sutjiadi, 858/279-4463 ext. 3
nsutjiadi@givingavenue.net
http://www.givingavenue.net

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