Donate For Free – No Cost, Easy Ways to Give Back on the Internet

What prevents most of us from donating to charities and worthy organizations? Like many, lack of extra money and time can be an issue even if your heart is in the right place. Luckily for all of us there is a simple, easy solution that won’t take any additional effort or time on your part. Can it really be so simple? The answer is yes!

By simply changing a few of the web sites you visit for your normal online activities, you can begin to give back without actually donating out of your own pocket. And since you are only changing the sites you visit, it won’t take any longer out of your day to start right now. There are plenty of online services that are comparable to, and in my opinion better than, their competitors that give to charities just by having you visit or use their site instead of another. These donations are usually funded by the companies that advertise on these sites or by third parties that may benefit from your patronage. Regardless, it allows everyone to give back without even trying.

Below are a few services that I have incorporated into my normal routine and it has now become second nature to visit them when I need something, making giving back effortless.

1. Search Engine – My new search engine of choice is goodsearch.com powered by the already well-respected and established company Yahoo! It lists a daily charity off to the left when you go to the site so you know what your searches will benefit that day and it also allows you the ability to suggest a charity if it is not already listed. Another easy way to promote them is to copy a link or banner to post on a personal web page directing traffic to their site.

2. Online Shopping – Shopping online is something most internet savvy people do nowadays at some point during the year. A well-known site for online shopping is charitymall.com Benefiting cancer research, a charity close to my heart, all you have to do is select the retailer and it tells you the percentage they will give back for all your purchases. Another option, also on Good Search is a link to their shopping site, Good Shop. You get to pick your participating company and you can also submit a charity to donate your purchase too. Once verified you can shop all day and know that a percentage of your normal purchases will be going to the charity of your choice.

3. E-cards – If you are like me, you will occasionally or even often send an e-card to a friend to brighten their day, for a birthday or another occasion. Make your efforts benefit a charity. There are plenty of sites that donate a set fee for each e-card sent. Sometimes I will even log on and send a card to everyone on my email address just to get the donations rolling and hope they will do the same. Check out e-cards.com There are many others that offer this kind of service year round, while some offer donations to a specific charity for a limited time.

Now that you have some more information on how to go about giving back without spending anymore time or money than you do in a normal day, what is stopping you? Use the sites listed above or find your own and share what you’ve found with your friends and family. Your referrals to these sites only add to the donations you are creating. I challenge you to surf the web for your cause!

Source by Kristina Ewing