For those of you who have not heard of this yet, Tuesday November 27 is Giving Tuesday. This is a day where everyone is encouraged to find a way to help a cause you care about.
When I first heard about Giving Tuesday, it struck a chord with me. About eight years ago, my brother and I decided that we wanted to do something game-changing in the world of philanthropy. We wanted to change supporting your cause from something that people only did a few times a year when they were able to write a donation check or volunteer to something that was part of their everyday lives. So, we launched goodsearch.com – an organization that turns your everyday actions into ways to “do good.” So far, we’ve raised nearly $10 million for organizations ranging from The American Cancer Society to local dog rescues and environmental groups.
So, on this Giving Tuesday, I wanted to share some simple ways to do good:
· Turn every purchase into a donation! With the goodshop-to-go button, each time you shop at more than 2,500 stores, a percentage of your purchase automatically goes back to your favorite charity at no cost to you (it works with 100,000 causes, but you can also add a new one). It also lists more than 100,000 coupons and deals so you can save money too!
· Do your internet searching at goodsearch.com. This Yahoo-powered search engine donates about a penny per search to the charity of your choice!
· Buy still much needed items for a cause that is supporting people who were affected by Hurricane Sandy
· Redeem credit card points. Ask members to turn their unused credit card points into a charitable donation to your cause. Both American Express and Citi Card offer this program.
· Send an email to your friends telling them about a cause you care about and why you care. Raising awareness can be as important as raising money.
Happy holidays everyone!
by JJ Ramberg, Host of MSNBC’s Your Business
