In Spain, NGO taps ‘foodstagrams’ to fight world hunger
Instagram is a useful tool for sharing our lives visually with others and it’s probably a sign of how comfortable the Western world currently is that one of its most popular uses is ‘foodstagrams’ – photos of everyday meals. We’ve already seen one restaurant tap the social media service to build a user-created menu, but now a Spanish charity is aiming to fight world hunger with its FoodShareFilter app, which enables the sharing of food photos on Instagram while raising money for the cause. READ MORE…
Modular fashion store triples as art gallery and charity
When we walk into certain businesses spaces we think we know what to expect, but sometimes they can surprise us. Munich-based Wash & Coffee is one example, pairing a Laundromat service with a café, and now New York’s Aksel Paris is combining its clothes retail store with an art gallery and social cause support center. READ MORE…
Service offers quick newsletter creation for non-profits
One of the problems with newsletters is that open rates can be low and the number of actual clicks even lower. We’ve already seen Médecins Sans Frontières try out MSF.TV, its own continuous online broadcast of current conflicts, and now Encore is providing another alternative for non-profits that aims to engage donors through stories. READ MORE…
Site enables pets to be played with remotely
Technology such as the Gatefeeder has already enabled cat owners to feed their pets while they’re away. Now iPet Companion uses robotically controlled toys to allow web users to play with sheltered cats remotely to keep them entertained. READ MORE…
Jewelry made from landmines by conflict-afflicted citizens
It can be one thing to donate funds to those in war-torn countries, but there has recently been a trend of startups actively helping citizens to get back on their feet. We’ve covered Zambikes, the California-based startup helping those in Zambia to build and sell bamboo bikes around the world. Now, Saught is a social business that helps Cambodians to create jewelry products out of the scrap metal left behind by landmines. READ MORE…
Charity TV station reports the news that mainstream media overlooks
The internet has helped charities benefit from a variety of ways to encourage donations – take France-based TousDonateurs as an example with its ad revenue fundraising model – but awareness and engagement can still be a challenge. Unhappy with the lack of coverage given to important humanitarian issues on mainstream media outlets, international aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières has created its own online channel, MSF.TV. READ MORE…
In Europe, project aims to add missing person info to ‘Not found’ pages
The World’s Most Valuable Social Network has already encouraged internet users to offer up space on their online profiles to help the cause of missing children in Canada. Now the NotFound project is hoping to turn the web’s 404 pages into a platform for alerting internet users to Europe’s missing people. READ MORE…
In India, furniture company offers discounts for donating old mattresses to homeless shelters
The Wood Luck earthquake-proof bed coming out of Japan recently is an example of furniture going beyond the call of duty. Now, Indian mattress company Springwel is launching its Sleep Exchange campaign, which encourages customers to donate their old mattress when buying a new one, with spare beds going to shelters to make lives more comfortable for the country’s homeless. READ MORE…
A crowdfunding platform for individuals with healthcare needs
The UK’s Peoplefund.it has already enabled anyone to support healthcare projects – as well as donate their time – and now we’ve come across a site with a similar, but more one-to-one focus. Watsi is a crowdfunding platform through which users can donate money to individuals in the developing world in dire need of medical treatment. READ MORE…
Small debts among friends turned into charitable donations
It only stands to reason that the easier it is to give to charity, the more donations will be made. We’ve already seen a few different efforts to elicit donations via rounded-up credit card purchases or even unused subway fares, but recently UNICEF Germany came up with another tactic: an iPhone app that enables friends who owe each other small sums of money to pay off their debt through a charitable donation instead. READ MORE…
