Giving Tuesday: 6 ways to give to charity without even trying – CNET

Now that the insane, record-breaking consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, let’s turn our attention to a much more altruistic event: Giving Tuesday.

We all have our excuses when it comes to supporting charitable causes: We don’t have the time. We don’t have the money. We don’t have the time or the money.

Let’s toss those excuses out the window, shall we? Because it’s actually quick and easy to donate — and in many cases it’s free as well. Here are six ways to give to charity with little to no effort — or expense.

Ever buy anything from Amazon? Thought so. Want a portion of nearly every purchase to go to charity? Duh!

That’s Amazon Smile in a nutshell. Just point your browser (or modify your bookmark) to smile.amazon.com, then choose a charity you want to support. (For example, I used this for years for my daughter’s high-school marching band and percussion group.)

Then just shop like normal. So long as you’re doing it via smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of all eligible purchases. All prices and products are the same as they would be if you bought them at the usual Amazon address.

The only wrinkle is that the Amazon mobile app doesn’t currently support this option. So if you shop a lot on your phone, do it in your mobile browser instead. Or add stuff to your cart in the app, then use the browser to complete the purchase. Either way, it’s easy peasy and free.

Altruisto

I know, I know: You hate browser extensions. But maybe think about putting up with this one? Altruisto is a Chrome extension that works with over 1,000 partner stores to make charitable donations from a portion of your purchases.

Those stores include Etsy, Ebay, Barnes & Noble, Microsoft and Booking.com, to name a few. The donations are split up between the Against Malaria Foundation, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, and Give Directly — three charities vetted by GiveWell.org. Altruisto itself is a Community Interest Company and has a thoroughly comprehensive FAQ section regarding its structure and policies.

As with Amazon Smile, this is a free and easy way to help severely underfunded causes just by shopping as you normally do.

Benefit

Partnered with hundreds of stores and services ranging from Airbnb to Zappos, Benefit is kind of like a cashback service — but think of it as “cash-forward” instead.

It works like this: When you buy something from a participating retailer, either online or in-store, you first purchase a gift card via the Benefit app (available on Android or iOS). Then you simply use that gift card to make your purchase.

And that’s all there is to it. A percentage of that purchase will automatically go to the destination of your choice: School, charity, non-profit or even your own pocket.

The actual percentage varies depending on whether you link Benefit to your bank account or a credit card; rates are much higher (often double) when you opt for the former. For example, you can score a 2-percent rebate on all Amazon purchases if you’ve set up Benefit with your bank account; it’s 0.5 percent with a credit card. Taking a trip? American Airlines rebates are 5 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Although there’s a prepurchase step involved every time you use Benefit, it’s a simple one — and a very easy way to give back.

Charity Miles

Do you walk? Run? Bike? Track your activity with the Charity Miles app and turn those activities into charitable donations. All you do is log your miles — actually, the app logs them for you — then choose from a rotating selection of charities. The donations come from “forward-thinking” sponsor companies.

So, basically, Charity Miles turns your movement into money for worthy causes. Another free-and-easy option!

CheckPoints

Okay, this one requires a little trying. CheckPoints is a rewards app that nets you points by engaging in various activities: Scanning barcodes, watching videos, taking surveys, and so on.

You can then redeem those points for things like gift cards. Or, if you prefer, you can turn the points into charitable donations.

Donate a Photo

Donate a Photo is a free app that makes helping people as easy as snapping a picture. For each photo you “donate” through the app, Johnson & Johnson makes a $1 donation toward the cause or charity of your choice.

You can donate one photo per day, which works out to an almost effortless $365 to charity each year.

Those are the tools I’ve found that make giving free and easy. If you’ve found others, by all means name them in the comments!

Originally published on Feb. 23, 2018.
Update, Nov. 27: Added new information.