Aly Sudow understands the power of the Internet. As an account manager at Google, Sudow knows first-hand how powerful Google tools really are. When Sudow and a group of her peers got involved with a San Francisco community service project, they seized the opportunity to use every Google tool at their fingertips to launch an innovative fundraising campaign for Cystic Fibrosis. "As a Google employee, I wanted to put the products I use every day to work for a worthwhile cause," she says.

Sudow serves on the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Young Professionals Committee, a group of Bay Area residents that raises money for the annual Climb for a Cure in San Francisco. Participants reach out to friends, family, and business contacts to sponsor their trek up the 1,000 steps of the city's Spear Street Tower. Competition is friendly, with teams and individuals challenging each other to race to the top of the 42-story building.

An array of tools for a worthy cause

Cystic Fibrosis is a life-threatening, genetic disease that affects 30,000 Americans every year. An additional ten million more – or about one in every 31 Americans – are carriers of the defective CF gene. Sudow recognized that to raise awareness for CF and the stair climb, she would have to step outside the traditional "flyer- handout" fund-raising method and leverage her knowledge of Google tools to build an ideal e-marketing initiative. The goal was to attract donors from all over the world, educate them about the disease, and give them a flexible, fast, and secure way to support the cause.

	"With Google's user-friendly tools, we were able to promote a worthy cause and enjoy the camaraderie of a fun, successful race."

Of course, Sudow found the answers in her own backyard. Using a combination of integrated Google solutions, she embarked on a comprehensive web-based marketing campaign right from her desk – saving precious energy for the stair climb. First, with Google Pages, she built asudow.googlepages.com – a professional- looking web site devoted to the Committee and its fund-raising activities. Next, with Blogger, she launched Alytalksalot.blogspot.com to provide updates about the event's planning and sponsorship phases. To spice up her pages with photos and slide shows, she downloaded Picasa, a powerful photo management, sharing, and editing tool. And to make sure her online presence was reaching the widest audiences possible, Sudow engaged Google Analytics to help her determine the effectiveness of her marketing efforts.

Technology to make sure every dollar counts

With her sights keenly set on sponsorship, Sudow was determined to offer visitors an easy, quick way to give financial support without the time-consuming hassle of taking out a credit card and filling in an online payment form. Most payment systems charged hefty credit-card transaction fees, which ran counter to the non- profit Committee's charter. "We were adamant that every dollar donated would be allocated to finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis," says Sudow. An experienced Google Checkout customer herself, Sudow knew it was the best tool for collecting donations and boosting charitable giving. What's more, the built-in fraud protection on both sides of the transaction – and the brand recognition of the Google name – inspired an extra level of confidence.

Even though Sudow is a Google employee, she's quick to downplay her technological skills. "Building websites is not my forte," she explained. Yet she found it remarkably easy to place a "Buy Now" button strategically on the Stair Climb's web page and blog so donors could quickly choose their level of sponsorship and contribute immediately. Having used Google Checkout as a buyer, she had learned the importance of communicating with donors, and processing their credit card donations as speedily as possible.

Donations start to climb

With the stair climb behind them, the Committee is proud of its accomplishments, and continues to rely on Sudow's blog to plan new and exciting charity events. Reflecting on the remarkable turnout, Sudow attributes it to the combination of Google tools – the blog, the photos, the RSS feeds, and more – that worked to drive awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and the Committee's fundraising events. "With Google Checkout, there was no waiting around to receive cash and checks that were pledged. Instead, donations were processed quickly and conveniently," she reports. Thanks to the convenient Google Checkout option, Sudow herself brought in $2,000 in donations from friends, family, and random web surfers. "With Google's user- friendly tools, we were able to promote a worthy cause and enjoy the camaraderie of a fun, successful race."