Cashback Or Donations?
If you regularly shop online you might already be aware of the cashback options from sites like Topcashback and Cently that will credit a few pennies to your account when you use their app or browser extension when you make purchases.
There are drawbacks to using these sites as you have to build up credit beyond a set threshold before you can transfer the money back to your account, and in my experience it doesn’t always show up in any case.
Free Donations When You Shop
Rather than clawing back a few pence here and a pound there, have you ever considered that charity organisations can benefit greatly from the combined power of shoppers all over the world? Simply selecting a charity with a few clicks will ensure they receive a set percentage from your purchases automatically.
Amazon Smile
When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. The whole Amazon world that is. Yes, you can now shop on Amazon and have 0.5% of your purchases donated to a charity of your choice. Once you have made your selection all you need to do is to remember to use the Amazon Smile link before browsing and shopping.
The site is essentially the same as the familiar site, with the same products and prices. Amazon do not pay to advertise Smile which is how they are able to cover the donations without increasing any prices. This is also why it is important to get the word out to a wider audience.
Easyfundraising
For almost everything else there is Easyfundraising.org, a site that a considerable number of retailers are signed up to (over 5,000), with more being added weekly.
It was originally conceived as a platform for lesser known charities to raise donations, and if you are involved with a local charity you can easily register and use their campaign templates to get the message to your followers.
With a few clicks you can add the app extension to your browser (no technical skill required), and it will alert you when you visit a site that is registered with them. All you have to do is confirm that you want the retailer to make a donation on your behalf, to the charity you have chosen, when you checkout.
All the instructions are on the site and you can start making a difference straight away.