Use Your Computer for Good
Charitable Web Searches and Distributed Computing Are Just a Few of the Many Ways to Use Your Computer to Create Positive Social Change
* Good Search - 50% of revenue donated to the charity of your choice. Powered by Yahoo.
* LiveSearch - For each search, "Microsoft will contribute to ninemillion.org, a UN agency-led campaign providing education and sports programs for the nine million refugee youth around the world."
* Everyclick.com - 50% of revenue donated to the charity of your choice. (UK based)
* Charity Cafe - 100% of profits go to Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and OxFam. Powered by Ask.com.
* ClicksCount - Donations to UK children's charities. Powered by MSN.
* Jikolp.com - 50% of revenue donated to charity. Powered by Google.
* If you work for a nonprofit, consider adding your organization to the list of charities for these sites. And spread the word among your supporters so they can search and fund your programs.
It's great when something you do everyday can make our world a better place. Want another way to contribute?
* Use your computer to help "assist fundamental research to discover new drugs, using our growing knowledge of the structural biology of AIDS." No scientific expertise needed. Through distributed computing, your idle hard drive does all the work.
* Choose web-based e-mail with planet-save.com and you'll donate to Nature Conservancy and other conservation organizations just by using your e-mail.
And if you're computer savvy, consider joining Geekcorps, "a US-based, non-profit organization that places international technical volunteers in developing nations to contribute to ICT projects while transferring the technical skills required to achieve long-term stability. Ultimately we strive to cross-pollinate developing nations with the skills needed to maximize the benefits of modern telecommunications." They work in several countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. Here are a few ways you can support their great work:
* Be a Geekcorps volunteer. You'll get to travel and use your IT skills in a community that will value and appreciate them. Click here for current opportunities.
* Donate money or computer equipment to Geekcorps. Your contribution will be put to good use!
* Learn about other organizations working to bridge the digital divide.
You can also read their site en francais. See! It's pretty cool to be a geek! I'm proud to call myself one. I bet there are a few more geeks out there reading this. So check out Geekcorps. Be of service. Be a geek. Put your computer (and yourself) to good use!
"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose." - Frederick Douglass
Published by Karama C. Neal
Karama C. Neal is the editor of "So what can I do," the public service weblog promoting ethics in action View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentThis is great stuff! You've gotten me interested in pursuing a couple of these.
One more thing: that's how the 'click to donate' sites work too. Please spread the word about this great (and easy) want to make charitable contributions.
Hi Natasha, Thanks for your comment. It's true! The owners of the search engines make money from advertising placed on the search results page. They then share some or all of that advertising revenue with the charities you (or they) select. The same is true for the email. I hope that answers your question.
Great content idea. Do these links really work??? It just seems impossible that someone would get money that way. Maybe I should read your other article to figure it out.. Well, anyhow great idea.