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"This post is part of Mashable\u2019s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.  The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.\nName: Groupable\nQuick Pitch: Groupable is an online community of groups and sponsors looking to match interests, goals, passions and needs.\nGenius Idea: Whether you're passionate about skiing, preventing animal cruelty, or little league baseball, there's almost always a group nearby that organizes trips, holds social gatherings, and helps you develop your skills in an area that you love. But there's always a catch. - it's called money.  Many times, sponsors are the best way to get it.  But how do you find the sponsors?\nEnter Groupable, a social connection website that aims to match groups with sponsors.  Not only that, but the Groupable platform can track statistics on sponsorships, map out group locations, manage sponsorship levels, and even can take sponsorship donations via credit card.  The Groupable dashboard is something to behold:\n\n\n\n\nWhile its features are nice, can it really connect you with sponsors?  The answer is absolutely ... if they're on Groupable already.  The system works in three steps: sign up, find a sponsor, and connect.  Groupable uses features like sponsorship videos and publicity to get your name out.  And there is an equally impressive platform for sponsors that allows you to create a profile, add multimedia, and track groups.\nGroupable definitely is a strong network for sponsors and groups.  It's well built and makes everything easily trackable.  The issue, as with many other social media services, is critical mass - you're probably not going to find a lot of local sponsors on Groupable yet.  But even if you don't find groups or sponsors through the service, you can add them yourself and use the platform to manage your sponsorships, making it a tool that groups that do a lot of fundraising should consider.\nSponsored by Microsoft BizSpark\n\nBizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.\nEntrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the \"new CloudApp()\" contest - use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).\u201D"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/07/08/groupable/>