You may have noticed some of your Messenger buddies with a little “i’m” icon next to their name in your buddy list. If you do, you’ll know that your friend is participating in the i’m Initiative and raising money for social causes. Here on the Hotmail team, most of our office signed up right away when the i’m Initiative launched in 2007 – we use Messenger so much to communicate at work that we figured we should put all of that typing to good use. Now, we’re going to have to sign up all of our Hotmail accounts!

What is the i’m Initiative?

The i’m Initiative is a Microsoft  program where Microsoft shares a portion of their advertising revenue for everyday activities – sending IMs and emails. Hotmail and Messenger have ads, like all free web services, and Microsoft makes money when a customer sees an ad. The i’m Initiative has successfully raised over 1.4 million dollars since it got started in 2007. It used to be available only in Windows Live Messenger, and now the Hotmail team is glad to say that you’ll be able to raise money for the cause of your choice each time you send an email.

How do I get started?

Go to http://im.live.com to join. You can choose to participate in Messenger, Hotmail, or both and you can pick a different organization for each service or dedicate all your efforts to one cause – it’s entirely up to you! This program is currently available only to customers in the United States. Once you’re set up, you’ll raise money for your favorite cause every time you send an email or IM. It’s really easy. Once you join, there’s no extra time out of your day, you don’t have to pay any money, and you get to know that you’re taking a step towards making the world better. The power of the collective can be huge – think of the difference that could happen if everyone swapped out a few plastic grocery bags each week for a reusable bag or took one less car trip a week.

Can I choose who gets Microsoft’s money?

You can choose to support any of the organizations on this list: the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the National AIDS Fund, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, ninemillion.org, Sierra Club, StopGlobalWarming.org, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Humane Society of the United States and U.S Fund for UNICEF.

- Ellie Powers, program manager, Windows Live Hotmail