A local installer of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems is providing Maine and New Hampshire communities with more than just clean, renewable energy. ReVision Energy raised a total of $6,000 for a dozen local nonprofits in 2011 through an innovative social media program dubbed Check in for Charity.  

"We were looking for a way to both raise awareness and money," says Fred Greenhalgh, who runs the program as ReVision Energy's Online Marketing Manager. "The goal is to make it is as easy as possible to contribute in a small way to each nonprofit, and then share the effort with friends online."

“Selected nonprofits have one month to rally supporters to ‘Check in’ on ReVision Energy's website, blog, or Facebook page,” he explains. “Every ‘Check in’ is worth $1, up to a maximum donation of $500."

The Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth was one of last year's beneficiaries.   

“It was the easiest $500 I ever raised,” according to Nichole Rutherford, Development Director for the local nonprofit.

“A lot of our supporters are families who can’t donate a lot of money,” she notes. “This was a fun way for them to get involved and feel good about supporting our work.”

ReVision Energy’s support for the Seacoast Science Center goes beyond the confines of social media and into the real world.

“They also sponsored our Bioblitz, a day of celebrating biodiversity by having a day long scavenger hunt where people of all ages come and identify all the different species living around our property,” Rutherford says. 

“A ReVision Energy representative came out with their kids and participated in the event,” she recalls. “They spent the whole day, which was nice because they didn’t just donate money. They got involved and gained a greater understand of who they were supporting.”

While the Seacoast Science Center is perhaps best known for its family friendly tide pools and touch tanks, Rutherford also points to the solar panels on the Center's roof as a learning opportunity for visitors.

“They show how we are reducing our impact on the environment,” she says.

Rutherford also views social media as an eco-friendly way to communicate her organization’s green mission and save paper.

“We use social media all the time to let people know we are open and to promote special programs,” she says. “I’m working on a mailing now that used to go out on paper to 1,000 people. Now only around 300 people receive the paper version, the rest we connect with online.”

Kids who visit the Seacoast Science Center today do their coloring on laminated paper that can be washed and reused again.

In addition to raising money for local nonprofits, Check in for Charity has helped ReVision Energy expand their own online community.  

“We’ve seen great results in terms of exposure,” Greenhalgh reports. “A threefold increase in Facebook fans, and thousands of ‘Check ins” through our website and blog. Plus we’ve received numerous mentions from the nonprofits we support on their own Facebook pages and websites."

“Of course, we feel good about raising the money we have for nonprofits and doing what we can to give back to our community,” he says.

Other nonprofits who benefited from Check in for Charity in 2011 include the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, ME; WERU Community Radio in Blue Hill, ME; Riding to the Top in Windham, ME; New Hampshire Coastal Protection Partnership in Portsmouth, NH; Natural Resources Council of Maine in Augusta, ME; Maine Children's Cancer Program in Portland, ME; Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assocation in Unity, ME; Biodiversity Research Institute in Gorham, ME; NH Audubon in Concord, NH; Island Institute in Rockland, ME; and Guitar Doors in Gorham, ME.

Another way ReVision Energy gives back to the local community is by providing discounts to members of the Green Alliance, a growing family of close to 100 local green businesses and nearly 2,000 environmentally conscious consumers living and working in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Members of the Green Alliance save $350 on a solar hot water system and $375 on a solar photovoltaic system installation completed by ReVision Energy.

Check for Charity returns this March. Nominate your favorite nonprofit by visiting:

www.revisionenergy.com/checkin-nominate.php