We all want to do good, right? But not all of us have the time to volunteer at our local charity. If you’re like me, you’re a broke college student. You barely have the funds to eat anything other than ramen every night let alone make a donation.
Fortunately, in the digital age we live in, there are a lot of apps that can help you do good, you guessed it, digitally! That means you can do good in your pajamas or during the bathroom breaks in between meetings and classes.
What you should be extra excited about is that many of these companies even have corporate sponsors that agree to make monetary donations for you.
Here are a few apps that will help you do good, feel good, and (hopefully) eat good.
Want to make sure you’re being socially responsible? This is the app for you. Good Guide lets you search for, scan, and browse through products that are healthy, green and socially responsible. Good Guide scientists rate products and companies on a 0 - 10 scale for their health, environmental and social impact. Now you can rest assured that your Good Guide- approved toothpaste is keeping your teeth and your conscience clean.
Are you a selfie queen? We’ve found the do-good app for you. With Fotition, you can support different campaigns by participating in fun photo challenges! For each fote you make, brands donate real dollars to the cause of your choice. Your fote also get special filters placed over it, so when you share the photo on social media you’re helping spread awareness for a great cause. Use those selfie skills for good and download the app today!
If you’re all about the foodstagram, look no further than Feedie. Snap a photo of your meal at any of the participating restaurants, and that restaurant will donate a meal to The Lunchbox Fund, a non-profit organization that provides daily meals for disadvantaged school children in South Africa. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too.
There really are so many benefits to living an eco-friendly lifestyle, and Recyclebank knows it! With this app your green deeds can get you great deals at stores and businesses around you. Completing an interactive feature (i.e. taking a quiz or reading a slide-show) that gives your tips on how to be eco-friendly earns you points. These points can then be exchanged for coupons and discount deals! With Recyclebank, living green keeps more green in your wallet.
Alright….so technically this isn’t an app, but I promise you can still use your phone -- sort of. The UNICEF Tap Project challenges you to go a few minutes without your phone. For every 5 minutes you spend away from your phone, UNICEF’s sponsors donate one day of clean water to a child in need. To help make an impact & give your texting fingers a break, go to uniceftapproject.org on your phone’s web browser.
About the Author: Alex Lacson is a DDG intern and senior at American University.
