3 In One: Save Money, Go Green & Give To Charity

The Independent newspaper recently ran an article highlighting a fantastic new website called ‘Double Impact’. The site allows anyone with a Facebook account to donate to charity for free by taking simple green steps. Instead of giving money, you first choose your favourite charity and then ‘earn credits’ by doing easy everyday tasks in an environmentally friendly way. You might earn money for a good cause by saving electricity or by shopping locally saving petrol; in fact there are a multitude of ways to take part. Your log your actions online to translate them into credits, which in turn are donated as real money to the charity you have chosen.

Online ways to donate to charity without paying a penny are not new - for example, the superb ‘Hunger Site’ has been successfully running for a number of years now. This website lets you donate to a number of worthy causes, including Rainforest Conservation in a very novel way. You simply visit the site, and then click on a ‘button’ on the page. Your click then triggers a cash donation to each worthy cause, paid for by companies who display their advertising banners on the page. The ‘Hunger Site’ takes no personal details and there’s no ensuing spam - you can literally, visit, click and leave again.

It’s exciting though that someone has gone one step further now to come up with a way to be green, save money and make that important donation free of charge. For example, you could easily install energy saving light bulbs and standby powersavers to substantially reduce your electricity consumption at home. Another great way to cut your electricity bill is to work out exactly which activities consume the most power using an energy meter. Once you know what is pushing your bills up, you’re arguably in the best position to take steps to reduce them!

Another idea could be to take the concept of ‘shopping locally’ that little bit further. If you grow your own vegetables you can save a small fortune on organic veggies at the supermarket. It’s far easier than you think and children love gardening, giving you some willing little helpers to make light of the little work involved.

Overall, it could be a superb, environmentally friendly way for the whole family to play their part. And I’m convinced the scheme’s use of the internet will be a sure fire hit with today’s technologically savvy young learners. And best of all, you can use your activities to take them back to nature; learn about clever ways to safeguard the environment; and how to keep their bills lower ready for the day they finally head off to their first independent home.

Photo credit: Money Box by Bill Davenport.