Raleigh Professional Women's Group and Durham-based Fundraising Tool Partner to Raise Money for Local Charities

CARLSBAD, CA, October 03, 2012 (Press-News.org) Benefacting, an online marketplace where people get together to sell or buy goods and services to benefit charity, and FemCity Raleigh, a savvy business and networking community for women, are partnering for a community service project to give back to local North Carolina charities. The "FEM It Forward" campaign, which starts today and runs through Nov. 23, includes FemCity Raleigh members "selling" goods or services on Benefacting.org with all of the money going to local charities like Boys and Girls Clubs serving Wake County, Fight for 1in9 in Raleigh, and Stop Hunger Now.

Benefacting is a one-of-a-kind tool that is revolutionizing the philanthropy industry by letting people give back using their skills, hobbies and interests to raise money for a cause of their choice. Here's how it works: Transactions on the website are called "Benefactions" and involve two people and a charity. The first person, known as the "Actor," posts details on Benefacting.org of a service he or she is willing to perform in exchange for a donation to charity. The second person contacts the Actor through Benefacting.org to express his or her interest in the service. The two people set up the specific details and agree to terms. The recipient of the service becomes the "Sponsor" and he or she makes a secure donation through PayPal directly to the charity.

"When we first heard about Benefacting, we knew it would be a great way for our organization to give back as a group and to support charities that were important to us as individuals," said Lisa Qualls, president of FemCity Raleigh. "A lot of our members have busy schedules between work, families and life in general. It's not always easy to schedule as much time as we'd all like to volunteer. That's one of the best benefits of Benefacting. The site lets us not only pick how we want to give back but also choose what will be most convenient for our schedules. And that's what we want all women to know - you can always make a difference."

FemCity Raleigh is an inclusive community of savvy business women from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about helping other professional women succeed in their work and in their communities. The group places emphasis on connecting women with the resources they need to be successful as well as taking advantage of opportunities to give back.

"FemCity Raleigh is really known among nonprofits in the area for its great community outreach programs," said Trevor Little, co-founder of Benefacting. "We're excited to be a part of its continued efforts to give back, and can't wait to see what great skills these women bring to the site. We have no doubt they'll raise a lot of money for wonderful causes throughout the Raleigh, Durham area."

The community is also invited to join FemCity Raleigh members as part of this campaign. Adult, professional women in Raleigh can join the campaign and post their own Benefactions. Interested women should contact the campaign organizer for access by following the prompts on http://www.benefacting.org/groups/FemCityRaleigh. Additionally, all community members are encouraged to support the "FEM It Forward" campaign by "Sponsoring" participants' posted Benefactions. You learn more and browse listed Benefactions at: http://www.benefacting.org/groups/FemCityRaleigh.

About Benefacting:
Benefacting, a nonprofit organization based in Durham, N.C., officially launched in early 2012 for the Triangle community of North Carolina. It is the first and only tool that inspires volunteering by putting control of the activity, dollars and outcome completely in the user's hands, and all while raising money for his or her charity of choice. Its mission is "to help those in need by empowering people to support charities through simple transactions and unselfish acts." For more information, visit http://www.Benefacting.org. You can also join in the conversation at facebook.com/benefacting or twitter.com/benefacting/.

About FemCity Raleigh:
Femfessionals connects ambitious professional women through Connection Events, originative Pink Collar Business Workshops, philanthropy, social media and http://www.femfessionals.com, creating individual communities within cities (FemCities) around the world. A Femfessional is a savvy business woman characterized as positive, open-minded, driven, professional, ambitious and desirous of forming strong strategic connections to benefit each other personally and professionally, and to the benefit of her community. Not only is she motivated to succeed, she is passionate about the success of others around her. She is quite remarkable.

Since FemCity Raleigh's founding in October 2011, this group of community-minded women has enabled the development of new, authentic friendships; generated sincere business opportunities valued at upwards of $1000-$2000; donated 105 pounds of food to Urban Ministries; as a result of a private fashion event at Saks Fifth Avenue, helped contribute to a combined in-kind and cash donation to Dress for Success Triangle valued at $600; and, with the support of FemCity Research Triangle Park, generated more than 22 woman-hours of volunteer work at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle's Farm. Connect with the organization at @FemCityRaleigh on Twitter, or at facebook.com/FemCityRaleigh, pinterest.com/femcityraleigh or femfessionals.com/FemCities/Raleigh.htm.