New sites that help make a difference

Breakthroughs in Kindness, Generosity, and Philanthropy

It is undoubtedly difficult to find time to make a difference. Life truly can get in the way of helping others and creating a positive impact on the world around us. More than ever, people around the globe need help. An article by Time Magazine has outlined some cutting edge sites dedicated to making a difference worldwide and requiring little time from individuals.

Illustration by Karl Hilzinger

BeExtra.org – A site dedicated to outlining ways to make a big difference requiring just a few minutes of time. The micro-volunteering site uses technology to promote large advancements that anybody can participate in. From taking a picture on your phone of a local park to build a map of where children can play to using your smartphone to view and label photos for digital museum archives, BeExtra.com has hundreds of ways to help even with a full schedule. The site combines the technology which you’ll likely be using anyway to advance society and help others.

BeExtra.org Logo

IfWeRanTheWorld.com – Set to be launched this fall, the site breaks extraordinary causes into the smallest possible tasks. Encouraging users to dream big, the site tackles such issues as curing cancer and ending poverty, and gives individuals small, specific ways to work toward the desired goal. Truly a symbol that the smallest contribution can change the world, IfWeRanTheWorld.com encourages individuals to band together and achieve.

Kinded.com – Random acts of kindness have gotten a technology upgrade thanks to Kinded.com creator Daniel Lubetzky. Participants print kindness cards from the site and pass it on whenever they perform a good deed for another. The recipient of the card can then log on to the site, note where the good deed took place and continue the chain which is mapped out on the site. The myriad of good deeds documented on Kinded is a breath of fresh air in a society that often seems selfish, and some of the chains have even spanned oversees.

kinded card

AllForGood.org – Volunteer opportunities are quite plentiful around town if you know where to look. The problem is that oftentimes the listings are so spread out that it takes much valuable time finding the right listing. AllForGood.org combines the listings of traditional volunteer sites as well as social media sites such as Craigslist and Meetup, putting all of the listings in one nice and neat package.

Kiva.org – Make contributions to franchises oversees and monitor their progress using Kiva. With a minimum of $25, you can help build business in a developing country. There is also Wokai.org which allows micro loans in China. Donate to a good cause and have the piece of mind to know how the process is moving forward.

Kiva.org logo

SocialInvest.org – The site that shows users how to responsibly invest money into worthy causes. The ratio of 1 in 9 U.S. dollars already lie in socially responsible funds, with that number steadily rising. It’s a small step in directing money to the right causes, but a very simple to do.

Tags: Acts of Kindness, Organizations, Technology