A recent article, Note to Millennials: Charity Now Begins on Twitter (posted on CNBC), reports that three start-up tech companies are making the donation process simpler via social media. The article mentions that in its 2013 “Next Generation of American Giving” study, nonprofit software developer Blackbaud found that 62 percent of millennials identified the mobile phone as the most preferred method for charity donations.” With this information in mind, it is no surprise that companies have taken notice and are creating ways to donate to important causes on smartphones, in seconds.
Here are three websites the article highlighted:
- Charitweet is “a socially conscious tech start-up that simplifies the donation process to just one tweet…With Charitweet, donors write a tweet with any combination of the charity’s handle, Charitweet’s handle and the donation amount.” The article goes on to say that “without leaving Twitter, someone can donate money, spread awareness about the cause and share efforts with friends, who can retweet a message to also donate.” Charitweet has already raised $4,000 for charities so far in the one month they have been operating.
- Givelocity “offers a platform where groups of people can pool their money and vote each month on which charity will receive the lump sum.” Givelocity donors have already raised $35,000.
- Promise or Pay “wants charity to become a part of the daily routine, helping people achieve their life goals.” It’s a “social motivation platform that holds you accountable to your goals or you pay the price in acts of philanthropy—donate money to charity if you don’t follow through, but if you do succeed, get your friends and family to donate on your behalf. The goal can be anything—promise to call your mom everyday, jog in the mornings, or steer clear of chocolate.”
It is as simple as:
I promise to or pay $ to charity”
.