Social Media

Social giving

posted by McKenna @ December 23rd, 2008

This year, technology is making it easier than ever to donate to our favorite charities. For example, residents of Columbus, Ohio, don’t even have to drop a few coins in the red kettle – they can just text the word “kettle” to the Salvation Army, and the phone carrier adds $5 to the texter’s phone bill.

Wow.

The economy’s in a slump, jobs are on the line and charitable giving has taken a hit. But that doesn’t mean we have to strike charitable donations from our lists this year.

Here are three great ways to make a difference and donate wisely:

Around this office, when a coworker needs help, we are often quick to ask how we can help – with food, money, even certificates for massages. I wish I had known about Lotsahelpinghands.com the last time we needed to set up a meal chain for a coworker in crisis. It would have made coordinating our efforts that much easier.
Charity Navigator has a holiday gift guide that helps you choose the best charity for your buck. It also rates charities to let you know which ones are the most fiscally responsible.
Charity Choice lets you give someone a gift card that allows them to choose which charity to donate the money to.