Microsoft has ended the “I’m making a difference” initiative. Users of Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail could collect money for help organizations by simply using the services.
Amy Essene, Marketing Director for Windows Live, stated that in the past three years, more than 3 million US dollars have been gathered that could be distributed among the ten cooperating beneficent organisations.
Among others, Unicef, the Red Cross, animal rights organisations as well as the American AIDS foundation have taken part in the program. Users could participate by making use of special emoticons. Furthermore, money was given to organisations preventing breast cancer and supporting people with Multiple Sclerosis.
With its donations program, Microsoft wanted to achieve a marketing effect for its messaging and web mail services and at the same time help beneficent organisations. This way, part of the advertisement revenue gained by messages sent from the participating user was donated.