News : Monkeytown Announces 4% For Your Community

'Team Monkey' personnel are available to help customers pick how their 4% will help the community.

Monkeytown today announced a program that gives money back to selected community organizations in the Vinton area.

Organizations involved in the pilot program include the Vinton-Shellsburg Community Schools Foundation, the Vinton Community Foundation, the Palace Theatre, VintonParksand Recreation, the Vinton Public Library, Vinton-Shellsburg Special Olympics, and Friends of the Shelter, Inc.

When customers place an order for any of the 27,000 products Monkeytown carries, they can designate any of the selected organizations to receive a check for 4 % of their total purchase price. The donation is made by Monkeytown and does not result in an additional charge or discount for the customer. All products are delivered the next day to any location anywhere in the continental United States.

To see a short one-and-a-half minute video on how Monkeytown delivers nationwide and close to home, visit <a href="http://www.mymonkeytown.com/behindthescenes" target="_blank">www.mymonkeytown.com/behindthescenes</a>.

The program gives people a chance to purchase items they use every day and make a donation to their favorite Vinton non-profit, even if they live outside the Vinton area.

Each month the sales will be totaled and a check will be issued to those organizations for the total amount. Monkeytown is known nationwide as the “wildest office supply company in the world”, however in addition to paper clips, Post-It Notes and printer cartridges, they also sell everything from bottled water to copiers, even bath tissue and household cleaners.

Monkeytown’s Top Banana, Kurt Karr, says he’s hoping to show what can be accomplished when local buyers make a small change in their habits and purchase online.

“We get great support from local businesses, but most individuals just pick up Post-It Notes, ink cartridges and paper when they’re shopping at Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, or another big-box store," he said. "By channeling just 4% of those sales into local organizations we could really make a substantial difference in our community.”

The key, according to Karr, is to make clear the connection between the local business and the community.

"Local businesses are who the community relies on to make donations of time and money. Instead of buying at a big-box store, when you buy from someone you know you’re also helping our community remain strong. We’re hoping that 4% of every purchase donated to a local cause they care deeply about might be enough to change habits and make a positive difference here at home.”

In 2009, Wal-Mart’s sales were 404 billion dollars, or 36 million dollars a minute.

Karr said, “They make a big deal out of the 467 million in cash and in-kind contributions the Wal-Mart Foundation donated that same year. But doing the math, a person earning $30,000 would keep pace with Wal-Mart if their annual donations of time and money were just $35.25. Our community would cease to exist as we know it if our businesses performed at the Wal-Mart level.”

You can order products from Monkeytown, and help your community at <a href="http://www.mymonkeytown.com" target="_blank">www.mymonkeytown.com</a>.

Call 1-800-472-5957 to speak with one of the customer service monkeys or stop by the Monkeytown office at 305 1st Avenue. Choose your organization and help give 4% For Your Community.