Even if you have no spare cash, you can make a difference.
This post will highlight a variety of non-traditional avenues through which you can donate to charitable causes at no monetary cost.
For each methodology I will note the following:
- What the donation requires (ex: a few minutes of time)
- What sort of cause the donation supports (ex: feeding the hungry)
- A link to the official site
- A link to a review of the charity (if possible)
Some of these methods are a simple as installing a browser extension or app on your computer! Take a look through the list and consider lending your time or computer hardware to a good cause today.
1. BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing)
- What is required? Install an application on your PC (CPU power)
- What is the cause? Varied, often medical or scientific research- you may choose which projects to support
- Official site: http://boinc.berkeley.edu
- Review: None found, Wikipedia Article
"Use the idle time on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux, or Android) to cure diseases, study global warming, discover pulsars, and do many other types of scientific research. It's safe, secure, and easy."
BOINC uses your CPU when you aren't to run calculations for a variety of causes. It's relatively simple to set up, and an easy way to support medical or mathematical research with no effort beyond the initial setup!
Getting started:
A thorough guide for setting up BOINC and selecting projects to support can be found here (Thanks to tictoc).
(BOINC is open source, and if desired can be paired Gridcoin, a cryptocurrency designed to reward useful work.)
1. Folding@Home
- What is required? Install an application on your PC (CPU/GPU power)
- What is the cause? Medical research, specifically protein folding simulations
- Official site: https://folding.stanford.edu
- Review: PCWorld, by Erez Zukerman
"Folding@home is a project focused on disease research. The problems we’re solving require so many computer calculations – and we need your help to find the cures! The Folding@home software allows you to share your unused computer power with us – so that we can research even more potential cures."
Folding at home uses your CPU and GPU when you aren't to run calculations that simulation protein folding- an essential part of certain medical research. It's simple to set up and an easy way to support medical research with no effort beyond the initial setup!
Getting started:
This video provides an in-depth getting started guide. (Thanks to Barnacules)
(Folding@home can, if desired, be paired with FoldingCoin, a cryptocurrency designed to reward useful work.)
1. Free Rice
- What is required? Time (Involves playing simple trivia games)
- What is the cause? Feeding hungry people via the United Nations World Food Programme
- Official site: http://freerice.com
- Review: Education World, by Jason Tomaszewski
"Freerice has two goals:
Provide education to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
Each time you answer a question right, the banner ad that you see generates enough money for the World Food Programme to buy 10 grains of rice to help reach Zero Hunger."
FreeRice allows you to take simple quizzes to hone your skills, while serving ads that directly fund rice for those who need it. Take a few moments to answer a few questions and provide a small amount of sustenance for the hungry.
Getting started:
Simply visit FreeRice.com and start answering questions!
1. World Hunger Program
- What is required? Time (Involves taking a quiz about hunger in the world and the US)
- What is the cause? Feeding hungry people via a variety of groups
- Official site: https://www.worldhunger.org/hunger-quiz/
- Review: None found
"Learn more about hunger by reading essential information on important aspects of hunger in the world and the United States, and answering several questions. When you answer one or more of these quizzes, Hunger Notes will make a donation to assist hungry people for each quiz taken. The donation ranges from $.02 to $.10 depending on how much money we have available for the hunger quizzes."
The World Hunger quiz aims to inform its users about the hunger's effects, and is willing to provide a donation for each person who takes the quiz.
Getting started:
Simply visit the quiz page and start answering questions!
1. The Eco Key
- What is required? Using their search engine (powered by Google)
- What is the cause? Litter cleanup efforts
- Official site: http://www.theecokey.com
- Review: None Found
"The Eco Key donates 40% of their revenue to organizations that remove litter Worldwide. We also sponsor organizations that remove trash and litter in the world's most polluted communities, parks, and beaches."
Eco Key is a small search engine that leverages google results, while serving ads that fund litter cleanup efforts.
Getting started:
Simply visit the EcoKey search engine to make searches!
1. GoodSearch
- What is required? Using their search engine (powered by Yahoo)
- What is the cause? Varied, you may choose charities from an extensive list
- Official site: https://www.goodsearch.com
- Review: philanthropyjournal, Ann Bowen
"Partners with Yahoo!, GoodSearch donates $0.01 to a user’s designated charity for each Internet search conducted through the site." -Ann Bowen
GoodSearch is a search engine whose use (and ads) fund charities of your choice.
Getting started:
Simply visit the GoodSearch search engine to make searches!
1. Every Click
- What is required? Using their search engine
- What is the cause? Varied, you may choose charities from a list
- Official site: https://www.everyclick.com
- Review: The Guardian, Katie Allen
"Raise money for charity when you search the web"
Getting started:
Simply visit the Every Click search engine to make searches!
A variety of more conventional donations can also be made at no monetary cost:
- Consider donating blood to the Red Cross
- Consider donating bone marrow to Be the Match
- Consider donating hair to Locks of Love
- Consider donating hair to Beautiful Lengths
Please let me know if you are aware of similar charitable causes that can be supported without a lot of cash, and let me know if I have made any factual errors. I will endeavor to update this post until I am no longer able to do so.
Thank you for reading!
Featured image from CafeCredit
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