It's always nice to see new initiatives supporting charity organisations right from the beginning - and that is what Fairfax Media is doing with the launch of its new social network.
From tomorrow (June 15), Australia will be home to a social media site designed exclusively for four million regional and rural women across the country.
Called ConnectPink, this ladies only initiative is intended to bring together women who live remotely by promoting an online sense of community.
And what better way to start this by encouraging all new members to donate to an Australian charity?
Every woman that signs up to ConnectPink will be given the opportunity to donate to the McGrath Foundation, a charity organisation that funds breast care nurses around the country as well as promotes breast cancer awareness.
Fairfax publisher Allan Browne said that the partnership makes sense because the McGrath Foundation has a strong presence in many of the same areas that Fairfax publishes its rural papers.
"Through its programs, the McGrath Foundation provides valuable support to women and their families in the very same areas where our newspapers operate," Mr Browne explained to the Port Lincoln Times on June 11.
"In that sense, it's the perfect partnership between the two organisations," he added.
As an incentive to donate, every woman who gives to McGrath will go in the draw to win a 'Girl's Flight Out' - a luxury getaway to Hong Kong.
The prize package includes five nights' accommodation at the Langham Hong Kong in Kowloon.
While this will undoubtedly generate a boost in funding, the McGrath Foundation already uses a range of different incentives and types of technology to encourage people to donate.
On its website, they have a live tally that shows how much money they are raising to support their next McGrath Breast Care nurse.
Currently, the amount raised is sitting at $186,825 - the target is $350,000.
The organisation also provides support for those who want to host community fundraising events, volunteer or bequest a donation in their will.
It even has an online shopping site, where people can 'Shop Pink' and contribute to the charity.
There are a range of products to suit every woman's taste, from Puma running gloves and mini cricket bats to lip gloss, cookbooks and aprons.
ConnectPink is intended to be the perfect way to spread ideas and initiatives such as those put in place by McGrath.
Mr Browne said that women already have a strong community spirit - all they need is the online platform to share this across the country.
"Women in regional Australia have a strong sense of community and a genuine desire [to] participate and to be connected," he asserted.
"We want to give them a social media side that encapsulates those qualities."
ConnectPink will be officially launched tomorrow in Canberra by the Governor-General Her Excellency Quentin Bryce.
