4 Great Apps for Giving Back

There are so many great things about technology. We have access to all the information in the world at just the press of a button. We can speak to friends and family on the other side of the planet without having to worry about driving up the phone bill. We have endless entertainment right at our fingertips.

Another great thing, is that we have more of an ability to help others than ever before. While going out physically into the community and volunteering your time is a good way to help others, some people lack the time or physical capability. We all lead busy lives, so it can be difficult to put aside time for volunteer work.

This can be frustrating for philanthropically minded individuals who want to feel they're making a positive impact--but often lack the time or income to put their ideals into action. Luckily, with these four apps, you can use what down time you do have in your day to add a little joy to someone else's!

Freerice

In 2007, the World Food Programme developed Freerice, a web quiz game that is both educational and philanthropical. Picking a topic of your choice you answer a series of questions. For every question you get right, the approximate monetary amount of five grains of rice is donated to the World Food Programme. That money is used for distributing food to countries in need. It's a fantastic way to test your own knowledge on subjects that interest you, while also helping others in the process. Plus, it has a very attractive and easy to navigate interface.

Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is a community app with an interesting premise: Helping people in your community who may be blind or otherwise visually impaired, without even needing to leave your couch. How exactly does this work? A blind or visually impaired person requests assistance from volunteers (i.e you and other app users) for anything from reading grocery labels, to helping navigate surroundings. Currently, the app is used by approximately 4.4 million volunteers all ready to assist people in need. This app is a great way to assist visually impaired people in leading more independent lives, and knowing that you're helping with that, is extremely rewarding.

Coin Up

If donating a large portion of your money at one time to a charity is not doable for you, Coin Up can help. Let's be honest, the main reason people don't often donate to charity, is because they don't have a big lumpsum of money lying around. Coin Up, however, takes the money you are already spending on groceries, gas, and other necessities; and rounds up your amounts to the nearest dollar from each transaction you make. The "change" left over from these transactions are donated to the charity of your choice. For people who are always on the move, it's an extremely convenient way to still help others as you go about your day.

Charity Miles

If exercising more and losing some weight is your goal for 2021, then Charity Miles may be an app you want to look into. After downloading the app, choose a charity you want to support. Before your workout session, go into the app to begin tracking your steps. Each mile you walk donates some money to your selected charity. Knowing that you are walking to support a cause you care about can be a great motivator to keep your exercise routine up regularly. You can even create "teams" to help "sponsor" each other, helping you earn even more money for your charity. With Charity Miles, every walk is a walk to help make a difference.