Monarch Ventures Sends Smiles 'round the World

    NEWTOWN, CT, August 26, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In today's climate, everything is in transition--economic stability, society and family values, marketplace perception, climate conditions, media and government. All sectors are trying to adapt, innovate and navigate simultaneously amid a rapidly changing landscape. One company is changing the future by re-connecting with the past. Remember when doctors made house calls? Monarch Ventures believes one key to success in today's business climate can be found in the practices and time-honored truths of bygone days. "Consider that inter-personal, face-to-face connection in the form of house calls resulted in patient (consumer) loyalty that outlived their own lifetime," says Katherine Purchase, Principal of Monarch Ventures LLC. Sadly, many companies have abandoned this time-honored practice in favor of selective advertising, target audiences, focus groups, and rapid expansion of services in pursuit of increased market share and profits. But in the process such companies become increasingly removed from their support base and thus become just another sign along the roadway of commerce without any tie to the heart.

Instead of selective advertising and target audiences, Monarch Ventures advocates the '0% of separation' philosophy---everybody counts and everybody is a referral---no exceptions. "We are pleased to partner with the Smile Train as we continue to merit our status as a certified B Corporation. Essentially speaking, we're giving away smiles by supporting doctors that make house calls." says Purchase. "We've made it a corporate priority to donate ten percent of all revenues, before expenses and after taxes, in support of charitable organizations whose work is consistent with our CORE values and one of those values is the 'acceptance of all people as having equal value'. The Smile Train organization definitely exemplifies this tenet as they fulfill their charter purpose. Supporting the Smile Train fits perfectly with our emphasis upon providing cause marketing activities that are free or very low cost to the community and inclusive rather than exclusive in nature. This is the kind of collaborative and cooperative partnership where everybody wins and we are so pleased to be a part of it."

Since being founded in 1999 by Brian Mullaney and Charles Wang, the Smile Train has provided free surgery for children suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate to more than 524,000 children in 76 countries. According to Smile Train, more than 4.7 million children in developing countries suffer with unrepaired clefts. Each child could be saved with a simple surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as $250---a significant savings that is accomplished by training local doctors instead of flying in teams of American doctors.

In 2008 alone, The Smile Train raised approximately $100 million from 1.1 million donors and performed 90,000 surgeries. One such donor is Connecticut-based Monarch Ventures LLC. "It is directly because of generous and innovative donors that we are able to transform the lives of thousands of children every year and give them a new smile, and a new life," said Michele Sinesky, Donor Relations Manager at Smile Train. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with Monarch Ventures and would like to express our deepest gratitude for the positive impact that they are making in the world."

It is said "A picture is worth a thousand words". One way to see the work of the Smile Train in action is the film titled SMILE PINKI that won the 2009 Oscar for best documentary short. It is the captivating story of a desperately poor little girl in rural India whose life is magically transformed when she receives free surgery to correct her cleft lip highlights the work of American charity Smile Train. "The film tells just one story of the hundreds of children we help every single day around the world," says Mullaney, "We hope with this prestigious award we can gain more recognition and exposure, which will help us raise awareness so that we can provide life-changing surgery for every child in the world who needs it no matter where they live or how poor they may be. The Smile Train will not stop until we reach that goal." More information about Smile Train is available at www.smiletrain.org.

About Monarch Ventures

Monarch Ventures LLC www.monarchventures.org is a socially responsible company forging mutually beneficial alliances between charitable organizations and local businesses. We accomplish this through cost-effective event-based Cause Marketing (any activity conducted in support of a social or charitable cause that is not dependent upon donations) resulting in increased visibility, impact and growth. Monarch Ventures LLC is a certified B Corporation (www.bcorporation.net/monarchventures) with operations throughout Connecticut and New York states. More information is available by email [email protected] or by calling 203-885-6932.

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