“Giving Tuesday” is a social media-driven movement which encourages people to donate to charity on the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving. Last year’s Giving Tuesday raised an eye-watering $300m (£233m) for good causes worldwide.
Brought to the UK in 2014, today is the day when people around the world are encouraged to focus on giving back, at a time when typically our minds are on shopping. But as we show here, being flat broke doesn’t mean you can’t still help.
The organisations below let you give without spending anything. By monetising ordinary daily activities, you can give your wallet a break — and a hand to those in need.
The Hunger Site
Chances are you already know about this one; if The Hunger Site was a person, they would be old enough to vote. The Hunger Site was the original click-to-give website, launched in June 1999. They promise to donate one cup of food for every click, funded by sponsor companies. And they’re still going, along with several spinoffs.
BStow
This one isn’t exactly free, but it’s such a great idea it snuck in. Donating change at store checkouts feels great: you avoid being weighed down by coppers and get that lovely virtuous feeling at the same time. BStow applies that idea to your online purchases by rounding up values to the nearest dollar and donating the difference to one of 1.5 million affiliated non-profit organisations.
CharityMiles
If you’re having trouble getting up for that morning run, motivate yourself with the knowledge that your sweat is generating cash for your favourite causes. CharityMiles uses your phone’s GPS and accelerometer to measure your activity, and allocates donations from sponsor organisation’s advertising budgets.
Donate a Photo
Donate a Photo pretty much does what it says on the tin: download the app, pick a charity, and upload your masterpieces (up to one a day). Johnson and Johnson donate $1 for every image to your chosen beneficiary.
Geev
Looking around your home, it’s a good bet there are one or two (or more…) things which are taking up space, but you can’t quite bear to throw out, knowing that there might be somebody out there who could use it. But donating items to charity can be tricky, especially if they’re big and bulky or unusual. Geev started out as a Facebook community centered around upcycling, and continues to share tips on refurbishing.
Their app helps you link up with people in your area who can give your unwanted stuff a good home. Geev is free to download and offers a one-week free trial.
Slack swear jar
If your work chat transcripts could make a sailor blush, this Slack add-on could be for you. Your organisation foots the bill, staying in control of their maximum donation, and you and your team do the rest, effing and blinding your way to good.
An added appeal is that the definition of offensive is up to you: irritating corporate buzzwords are fair game. Next time a colleague suggests ideating a new paradigm for enhanced engagement, soothe yourself with the knowledge that it’s all for a good cause.
Good-Loop (yes, that’s us)
Many of the above methods have involved leveraging something you do anyway (exercising, having too much stuff in your home, swearing) to generate funds for charity. Good-Loop requires even less effort from would-be donators; all you have to do is watch an ad.
Online ads fuel the internet, but the majority get ignored, blocked, skipped or viewed in silent resentment. However, when consumers enjoy and feel positive about video ads, advertisers enjoy a 97% increase in purchase intent. In short, everybody benefits: advertisers, consumers and charities. The internet often functions as a hostile, zero-sum world where everybody is out to exploit one another; Good-Loop shows that altruism can be rewarded — and it doesn’t cost anything to care.
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