Do you have a charity that is close to your heart, but you aren’t in a financial position to make a donation? We’ve all been there; that’s why we found these four ways to support charitable organizations. With all of these methods, you can give donations—real, monetary donations—to a nonprofit charity. Whether you’re working out or surfing the web, you support a charity by going about your normal routine!
Charity Miles: Exercise for a Cause
What do cyclists, runners, and dog-walkers have in common? They all should download the free Charity Miles app to their smartphone! If you’re already tracking how many miles you accumulate in a day, add them up to see how much you could’ve been donating to charity. For every mile walked or ran, Charity Miles will donate $0.25 to a charity of your choice; for every mile biked, they donate $0.10. You can choose from nearly 30 organizations, including the Special Olympics, Feeding America, and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Tab For a Cause: Making the Most of Your Browser
Think about how much time you spend on the computer in one day. You probably have Facebook open in a tab at the office (we won’t tell on you), and when you’re on your personal computer, you might let a couple of videos load in their own tabs. Tab For a Cause is a free Google Chrome and Firefox extension that every web surfer needs to download. Each tab gives up to 1/3rd of a cent to a charity of your choice; although that seems like nothing, remember how many times you’ve closed out of that Facebook tab at work, only to open it again. In the age of the internet, that little bit of change will add up quick.
Amazon Smile: Shopping with Benefits
Amazon has everything from A to Z, and if you want to buy everything in between, give Amazon Smile a try. You can expect the same excellent customer service and Prime perks the limitless online retailer has to offer. All you need to do is go to smile.amazon.com when you want to shop on Amazon. Log in with your existing Amazon account, and select one of five charities to contribute. For each qualifying purchase, Amazon donates 0.5% of your total to either St. Jude, ASPCA, Doctors Without Borders, American Red Cross, or the World Wildlife Fund.
Charity Registries: Show Your Commitment to Each Other and Your Charity
Wedding registries are often used to start a happy couple off on the right foot. Some newlyweds decide to designate their entire registry to a particular charity; instead of asking for presents, they instead ask their guests to donate to a selected charity. However, if you want to make a donation but you’re eyeing that Kitchenaid standing mixer, you can still build a charitable gift registry. The Knot, a wedding planning website, offers a charity registry program. Sync your preexisting registry with their website and choose from over 100 charities. The Knot contributes up to 3% of the monetary total of gifts purchased. Now you have a good excuse to put the 1200 thread-count sheets on the list!
