Happy Day! We’d like to take a moment to share some of our more recent testimonials. Enjoy.

Just created my first INLU and to be honest, I think I’m hooked. I passed it along to my very “green” family and hope they use it and pass it along too. We ALL need to INLU, I’m convinced! We love going to INLU parties where we don’t need to stress about buying a gift, wrapping a gift and hoping the recipient doesn’t have one already. Gift opening doesn’t take 45 minutes and there isn’t all that trash and waste to further clutter our planet. Love the charity aspect too! Just wishing you were around when I got married.- Heidi

AO glass loves Inlu. Wow, I learned a lot while creating our first Inlu. Thank you for providing a smart and efficient way of sending invitations. Our fundraising campaign “Trailblazer for AO Glass” went so well. Thank you Monica for putting this together in less than a week. We look forward to use Inlu for our future Group Gifting. Thank you. – Rich

Just used inlu to organize a big Halloween Party. EASY! Guest contributions will pay for the facility rental and food – plus we’re raising money for Vermont farmers impacted by Hurricane Irene flooding last month. There was no other tool that would allow me to invite guests, pay for party costs, and raise money for charity at the same time. Nice job inlu! – Duncan

This is the second year we have used inlu to coordinate our daughter’s birthday party and it has made the gift-giving conundrum a lot easier.  We normally acquire most of our toys second-hand to keep usable things out of landfills and extend the lives of already manufactured items…but it’s so difficult to ask guests to do the same. I am uncomfortable with the amount of packaging the comes with the mountain of new plastic toys a child receives for a birthday and was looking for a way to minimize the mountain down to a molehill.  My college friend suggested I try the inlu site.  MAGIC!!!  My daughter asked for tap lessons so her friends donated for tap lessons and tap shoes – and they also donated to the Ehlers Danlos National Foundation!  Many of the parents thanked me for making the gift giving easier on them – they were happy that they didn’t need to make an extra trip to the store, didn’t need to try to pick something out for a child they didn’t know, didn’t need to wrap anything, and didn’t need to schlep anything to the party but their child.  I was happy that I didn’t need to throw a lot of trash away or bring a lot of junk into my house. – Rebecca

Have I told you lately how much I LOVE inlu? Thank you AGAIN for helping with team/coaches gifts. You make life so easy when trying to coordinate season end gifts! ? – Leslie

So impressed with what we can do with inlu! Thanks to (Sue & Duncan’s) brilliant planning, a ‘hood Halloween party has raised over $600 for the Intervale Center Farmers Recovery Fund so far. Partying with a purpose. I love it! Hey, can I get one of those “we inlu” stickers for my car? – Wendy

The power of good people can move mountains! Yeah for you guys!- Sueann

We love Inlu! Today a great big check arrived in the mail– an Inlu was generated for our shop! Now, some lucky gal is getting exactly what she wants (just a Little Something), and we are getting a very happy customer! Thanks, Inlu!!- A Little Something

If you haven’t stopped by our Facebook wall in awhile, please do! We’d love to hear from you. Ready to try Inlu? GET STARTED!

And PS, WE are thankful for each of you!

Ok, so the turkey leftovers are wrapped in the fridge and life is good. We still have another solid month + of evening get togethers, office holiday huddles and other cheery merrymaking. So, why not get the friends together, and in lieu of bringing gifts, ask people to pitch in for any cause? Pick a local homeless shelter. Raise funds for the rainforest. Collect from your friends, buy dog food for a dog rescue. The ideas are limitless.

Here’s a sample of a Potluck Dinner for a Cause using inlu.com to coordinate a collection for any cause this Holiday:

Click to View a Sample!

The gifting season is so close I can almost smell the pine tree sap. If you’re like me, in charge of figuring out what everyone wants, why not consider something planet friendly and the perfect group gift? Make it easy on everyone, including the planet! Examples? Simply send an Inlu invitation through the office, ask the cubicle posse to pitch in for something fresh and funky. Invite siblings to go in for one really cool, handmade or earth friendly gift for the grandparents. Collect enough from all the cousins to get Uncle Nice a fabulous piece of art. You get it- people pitch in as a group in lieu of a bunch of people buying, wrapping and shipping. It just makes sense!

Here are 10 Fun, Fresh Green Gift Options:

1. Eco Friendly Abstract Art on Salvaged Wood (12 SMALL Tree Rings)

These are a creative, cool eco-friendly gift perfect for any boss, friend or relative who digs artsy deco. You can create a custom arrangement based on the space. focuslineart, $300

2. EarthPan Eco Friendly Kitchenware

This is perfect for the foodie in your life who loves to cook but doesn’t want the icky chemicals on many stove top essentials- a GREAT group gift for an aunt, uncle, parents or grandparents. Perhaps you have a newlywed couple with ubertastebuds on your list? Pool funds and get them one gift they’ll use together to make all those fancy dishes the rest of us can’t. Earthpan 10 Piece Set $149.99. (Admittedly, not funky or handmade BUT the food that comes of it = no toxins and it’s a fresh idea for a great gift:).

3. Mirrored Wine Glass Holder

Cheers to great art! Hang two wine glasses on this fabulous, mirrored frame made from recycled metal. What a cool gift for the wine lovers in your life. LarsMetalReflection, $225

4. Upcycled Biycle Tire Clock

Got a brother who digs bikes? A sister who races downhill? Anyone in your family a beach cruising fool? Well, why not pitch in together and get an upcycled spoke-style clock? Love it. upcyclebicycle, $109

5. Elk Head Wall Art from Recycled Machinery

Know an urban soul longing for a trip to the backwoods? This Elk Head is created entirely from recycled farm machinery and is made in rural Pennsylvania. Gift hunters will score on this unique craftsmanship. Perfect in a work or social setting! TheSteelFork, $380

6. Recycled Glass Art

This whimsical piece is crafted from broken glass. It would be an excellent gift from the kids to a mother or grandmother. I can see it now in the entryway, capturing what winter sunlight it can find. RECreationsART, $275

6.  Peace of Art

This 44″ peace of art will make a BIG statement. It’s recycled and handmade and totally awesome. So, why not give peace a chance? (Especially when friends come together to split the cost!)  Uncommon Goods, $1900

7.  45 RPM Mirror

This retro record wall-mounted mirror by Jeff Davis will add a touch of color to any room in the house. The frame of the mirror is composed of 12 vintage 45 rpm records mounted on Trupan, a composite wood created from 100% sustainable lumber. Mirrors are made using actual vintage records from a variety of genres, and chosen for their visual appeal. EcoArtware $130

8. Coconut Shell Earrings, Hand Crafted in Thailand

Love these ‘Lotus Love’ earrings! Again, these would great from the grown up kids to the much deserving  mom. “Shaped by hand, lovely lotus petals of coconut shell nestle in shining silver.” Sustainable and simple. Novica, $104.99

9. BlueIQ Ecosystem

This is an excellent group gift for a boss or coworker because it’s an entirely balanced ecosystem fit for a small space, like a desktop. It’s clever, cool and fascinating. You can add shrimp and snails and plants, oh my! BLUEiQ $79 + accessories.

10. 7 FT Farmstyle Recaimed Dining Set

Last year, did you happen to notice time has taken its toll on the family table? Does it wobble too and fro? Are you short a few seats now that the grandkids have come along? Well check out this reclaimed dining set! It comes with 2 7 ft benches so the entire brood can brunch together. ModernRust, $759

how inlu works

We like chatting about all the fabulous ways to spend final gift collection funds. Today, we want to focus on the four main ways Inlu Gift Collection funds are pooled and sent.

(As the Gift Collection Organizer, you can choose how to handle your Gift Collection Funds)…

1. Consolidate and Send

Simply coordinate the collection and indicate that Inlu SEND the consolidated funds to someone. This can be the person or purpose being honored, or another person who will purchase a gift for the person being honored. You don’t know what the final collection total will be until your Inlu closes. This is perfect for gift certificate type giving – where the final amount is less important than the gift itself.

2. Purchase Ahead of Time, Reimburse Your Wallet

Consider the consolidated funds to be a REIMBURSEMENT to you. If you want to pre-purchase a gift for someone (for example, a new bike), and you want whatever donated funds to go toward that gift, then consider those funds to be a reimbursement back to you. This is helpful for things like birthdays when you want a specific item to be ‘opened’ at the party. Buy it whenever you want. And know that the collected funds will find their way back to you after your collection closes. The collection might not meet your total cost.

3. Many Honorees, One Contribution (Alternative Reimbursement)

IF a you are coordinating a SINGLE Inlu meant for MULTIPLE HONOREES (ie, 3 COACHES GIFTS, 1 contribution PER family), it is best to use the Inlu as a REIMBURSEMENT to you. The Inlu system enables you to list ONE person and address to which all funds can be issued. You can see the final amount collected on the day of your Collection End Date, divide that amount as you see fit, and purchase multiple items (like individual gift certificates) yourself. For example, if you collect $90 you can purchase 3 $30 gift certificates. Use the Inlu funds to reimburse yourself.

4. Direct-to-Store Group Gift Certificate

Purchase a single GROUP GIFT CERTIFICATE from our growing list of partners. In this case, the gift funds are sent directly to the shop and held as a gift certificate in your honoree’s name. The Inlu system issues a gift certificate announcement to the person being honored with the messages from all who contributed, as well as their group gift certificate number registered with that store. Nice and easy!

Know an awesome little local shop that should become a partner? Lets us know! Businesses LOVE when their own customers refer Team Inlu. You will help an awesome local business compete with ‘the big guys’ when they become a partner. —> Email us support@inlu.com!

Welcome to the AWESOME side. Your kiddo’s got plenty of plastic toys. He’s got enough “stuff” to fill up a walk-in closet. This year, use the FORCE of Inlu to coordinate contributions to cover the cost of the most badass, radical, excellent group gift, like, EVER.

This $189 ride-on galaxy blaster will take you from the living room to the white fields of that planet with the hairy white creature that captures what’s-his-face in that cave…nevermind.

This is a perfect group gift for the Holiday season. Your kid will LOVE it, the grandparents will be happy to pitch-in and the favorite aunt in Oregon is pumped to put some $ in the pool, leave a note and know there’s not going to be an 11th hour mad dash. You’ll be PSYCHED because you know that, AFTER the new year, when the snow starts to pile, this gift will be  put to good use!

Here’s how you’d use Inlu to make this Chopper happen (see SAMPLE):

1. You login (free account!) and create an Inlu announcement

2. Write some details about the gift your kiddo really wants

3. Opt to set a collection cap, have excess funds go toward a charity (I set this one at $189- again, optional)

4. Send to friends and family members you know would like to pitch in for this super gift

5 . You track and view contributions and notes from your dashboard, where you can easily send a thank you when the collection closes.

6. Then you get the $ in one check to go and buy the gift. Easy, that was, hmmn? (say in cute Yoda voice).

Sound good? Get started now, send it to yourself. Add recipients when you’re ready. Go easy on everyone, easier on the planet (less wrapping, shipping and “stuff” when you group gift).

Inlu.com users have supported a variety of causes over the past two years. Today, I’d like to simply share a way you can support an industry and passion that is near and dear to many of our users: action sports. By simply watching this video, $1 (up to $100k) will be donated by Ballpark Franks to support the Athlete Recovery Fund, which provides insurance and healthcare to some of our most admirable, “uninsurable” daredevil heroes. That’s it. All you do is watch. Thanks! (Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/1-rrKZZTV_A)

PS Idea Alert: The Athlete Recovery Fund would make an awesome Inlu cause this holiday season! (Note: we are not associated with any charities, this just seems like a great cause that makes a real difference:).

Our users have supported MANY charities in several IN LIEU OF contexts, like:

Here’s a list of 25 randomly selected charities, causes and planet-happy ways our users have given back to help others:

1. Best Friends Animal Society, Utah
2. Cheetah Conservation Fund
3. Burlington City Arts
4. NOFA Farmer Emergency Fund
5. Donation to the “Church they were married in…” St. Patick’s Cathedral
6. Autism Speaks
7. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
8. U.S. Luge Association/ I Slide 4 Nodar
9. Visiting Nurses of Vermont
10. Dayton Children’s Hospital, OH
11. Kennedy’s Cord Foundation, KY
12. Alzheimer’s Association
13. New England Center For Homeless Veterans
14. Sutter Aubrurn VNA Hospice
15. Life Rolls On
16. Homocide Survivors Fund, AZ
17. Camp Dudley William J. Schmidt Scholarship Fund
18. Champion Against Bullying
19. Children’s Hunger Fund
20. Teaching Tolerance, AL
21. Intertribal Friendship House
22. Pennies For Peace
23. Ashlee’s Charity for Junior National Young Leaders
24. Discovery Charter School
25. Southeast Valley Youth Football, AZ

Want to create an IN LIEU OF charity collection? Visit inlu.com and

As our loyal friends, fans and fabulous peeps, we’d love to offer you a special WE INLU sticker for your car, computer or wherever you’d like. Simply email us with your name and address and we’ll get one in the mail. support@inlu.com

YOU are the best and we love you.

email us at: support@inlu.com

We’ve been hearing all kinds of jazzy stuff about the new Amazon Kindle Fire. It’s got a browser. It can open flash. And it’s connected to amazon.com, meaning there’ll be tons of goodies to download, upload or whatever the kids are calling it these days.

That’s why we’re doing a shout out: PERFECT GROUP GIFT ALERT! It’s $199, which means a group of friends and family members can make this one happen for one lucky duck.

View THIS sample. Fire up the Group Gifting braincells.