RiDO Rotherham Investment & Development Office

A new search engine, GiveFind.com launched by a Moorgate Crofts based firm, plans to challenge Google by donating the majority of the money it makes from advertising to good causes.

GiveFind is an ethical search engine, allowing users to support any cause registered with the site, such as a local school or cancer research. The company created its Fonvo brand to power the search. Fonvo sources results from Yahoo, Bing and others to provide fantastic search results, so that users don’t receive a compromised search experience whilst raising funds for good causes.

"Search engines like Google make billions from advertising", explains John Hardy, the entrepreneur behind GiveFind. "Just by searching the web, users don't realise they're generating these huge revenues.

"Our message to all Internet users is, visit GiveFind.com, choose your cause and make us your homepage! It’s that easy and together we can make a real difference. Our search stands out in its own right; the fundraising is an added bonus!"

John first came up with the idea whilst at University in 2006. As a Rotherham United supporter when the club went into administration John hit on the idea of setting up a website selling advertising space to give local businesses incentive to donate. The site raised £2,205 in two weeks and led to further ideas about ways to use the internet to raise money for good causes.

John comments; “As part of my business degree I ended up doing an assignment on Google which made me realise just how much money search engines make from advertising and from that I joined the dots and came up with GiveFind.”

John’s company, Dibgo Limited is based at Rotherham Investment & Development Office’s Moorgate Crofts business centre, and John is happy with the support he has received, both at the centre and through Rotherham Youth Enterprise. As he explains; “It’s been a long journey to get the site to launch, I've been delighted with the support I've received through RYE, the facilities at Moorgate Crofts are fantastic and its been perfect for a start-up like GiveFind.

“I've also found it very helpful to have a mentor who is always very enthusiastic and full of encouragement, I've also benefited from the free financial surgeries on offer which has helped with some of the administrative side of things.”

The search engine can be found at www.GiveFind.com.