A method of processing a giving transaction is disclosed. The method includes receiving, from multiple users, enrollment information including (for each user): a postal code and an indication that the user has entered an upcoming game of chance associated with a monetary prize. The method further includes registering the users (and corresponding enrollment information) and, in response to a registered user winning a prize share consists of some or all of the monetary prize, identifying a winning postal code based on the enrollment information of the registered user that won the prize share. The method further includes distributing a portion of the prize share to the registered user that won the prize share and distributing a remaining portion of the prize share by distributing a first portion to the registered users having an associated postal code that matches the winning postal code and distributing a second portion to other users.

The invention relates generally to increasing the efficiency of knowledge sharing promoting research and innovation, and more specifically to increasing the efficiency of knowledge sharing and collaboration between participants/experts in particular fields. In particular, a system is described that supports each of a discussion group, working group and research group, wherein modules supporting each group has particular functionality to enable people discuss and define new problems, begin working together to advance collaboration to solve a problem and to assist in establishing a real-world research project.

The invention relates generally to increasing the efficiency of knowledge sharing promoting research and innovation, and more specifically to increasing the efficiency of knowledge sharing and collaboration between participants/experts in particular fields. In particular, a system is described that supports each of a discussion group, working group and research group, wherein modules supporting each group has particular functionality to enable people discuss and define new problems, begin working together to advance collaboration to solve a problem and to assist in establishing a real-world research project.

Methods and systems for facilitating donations to user preferred causes are disclosed herein. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of collecting a plurality of information corresponding to a user preferred payment methods and user preferred causes, detecting the users engagement in commerce, calculating a donation amount, prompting the user to verify or update the donation amount and causes the donation is for, and, in response to the user verifying the donation amount and causes, transferring the donation amount from the user preferred payment methods to the causes. In some embodiments, this method further comprises donation batching. In some embodiments, this method further comprises calculating and displaying an impact score corresponding to the quantitative or qualitative representation of the tangible effect of the donation based on the donation amount and the causes donated to.

Methods and systems for facilitating donations to user preferred causes are disclosed herein. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of collecting a plurality of information corresponding to a user preferred payment methods and user preferred causes, detecting the users engagement in commerce, calculating a donation amount, prompting the user to verify or update the donation amount and causes the donation is for, and, in response to the user verifying the donation amount and causes, transferring the donation amount from the user preferred payment methods to the causes. In some embodiments, this method further comprises donation batching. In some embodiments, this method further comprises calculating and displaying an impact score corresponding to the quantitative or qualitative representation of the tangible effect of the donation based on the donation amount and the causes donated to.

A series of associated merchant websites or respective merchant websites each selling narrowly defined product categories to shoppers who browse to select products for placement into a shopping cart. While each website is operated and controlled by a different merchant or a single merchant, each website has access to a shared server farm where information about each shopper is stored. Also shared is a virtual e-commerce shopping cart that the shopper can use to check out at any of the merchant websites even though the virtual e-commerce shopping cart may contain products from multiple different merchant websites. Each merchant website is associated with metadata limited to the narrowly defined product category, thereby providing enhanced SEO benefits without the need to purchase ad words. Each boutique specifically targets a single category making the shopping and buying experience easier. Information gathered from shoppers at each unique boutique is stored at the server farm for being shared with other associated merchants in the collection of sites. A shopper's user account will transfer between sites and allow the data gathered to be used in a cross-promotional method and will ensure the shopper's experience is consistent with what they like and want in future visits. Moreover, a merchant incentivizes an account holder to make an authorized transaction by terms and agreement to auditably donate to the account holder's affinity entity. To incent desirable commerce with locals, the merchant's terms may limit its donation by a derivation of navigation time between account holder and merchant, and/or by date and time of the transaction. The account holder can direct the donation to one of more affinity entities within their own community, and/or within a community where the transaction was physically conducted. An account holder can also donate at the time of transaction where the donation is paid by the account's issuer for reimbursement as a debit to the account holder's account statement. Other payment system participants may donate (the merchant's acquirer, issuer, and transaction handler for the issuer and acquirer), by way of favorable interchange rates, can also make audible donations to account holder directed affinities entities.

A series of associated merchant websites or respective merchant websites each selling narrowly defined product categories to shoppers who browse to select products for placement into a shopping cart. While each website is operated and controlled by a different merchant or a single merchant, each website has access to a shared server farm where information about each shopper is stored. Also shared is a virtual e-commerce shopping cart that the shopper can use to check out at any of the merchant websites even though the virtual e-commerce shopping cart may contain products from multiple different merchant websites. Each merchant website is associated with metadata limited to the narrowly defined product category, thereby providing enhanced SEO benefits without the need to purchase ad words. Each boutique specifically targets a single category making the shopping and buying experience easier. Information gathered from shoppers at each unique boutique is stored at the server farm for being shared with other associated merchants in the collection of sites. A shopper's user account will transfer between sites and allow the data gathered to be used in a cross-promotional method and will ensure the shopper's experience is consistent with what they like and want in future visits. Moreover, a merchant incentivizes an account holder to make an authorized transaction by terms and agreement to auditably donate to the account holder's affinity entity. To incent desirable commerce with locals, the merchant's terms may limit its donation by a derivation of navigation time between account holder and merchant, and/or by date and time of the transaction. The account holder can direct the donation to one of more affinity entities within their own community, and/or within a community where the transaction was physically conducted. An account holder can also donate at the time of transaction where the donation is paid by the account's issuer for reimbursement as a debit to the account holder's account statement. Other payment system participants may donate (the merchant's acquirer, issuer, and transaction handler for the issuer and acquirer), by way of favorable interchange rates, can also make audible donations to account holder directed affinities entities.

A method including a system receiving, in real-time and through a computer network, a donation authorization from a donor via a donor user interface executed on a donor device of the donor. The donation authorization can comprise: a donation amount, a donor token for the donor, a donee first token for a donee, and/or donee information. The donor token can be uniquely associated with a donor account for the donor, and the donor account can be maintained by a sender financial institution. The donee first token can be uniquely associated with a donee account for the donee, and the donee account can be maintained by a receiver financial institution. The method further can include the system, after receiving the donation authorization, instructing or facilitating, in real-time and through the computer network, the receiver financial institution to post in real-time the donation amount to the donee account. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method including a system receiving, in real-time and through a computer network, a donation authorization from a donor via a donor user interface executed on a donor device of the donor. The donation authorization can comprise: a donation amount, a donor token for the donor, a donee first token for a donee, and/or donee information. The donor token can be uniquely associated with a donor account for the donor, and the donor account can be maintained by a sender financial institution. The donee first token can be uniquely associated with a donee account for the donee, and the donee account can be maintained by a receiver financial institution. The method further can include the system, after receiving the donation authorization, instructing or facilitating, in real-time and through the computer network, the receiver financial institution to post in real-time the donation amount to the donee account. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Provided is an information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus, the information processing method including: acquiring contract information on a contract related to a disaster prevention project to develop an infrastructure, the contract being an outcome-based contract in which payment is made on a basis of a disaster reduction outcome through the infrastructure (S102); acquiring fund data related to a fund set on a basis of the contract information (S110); and associating the fund data with discrimination information on the disaster prevention project (S116).