5 Apps That Promote Social Good
Although the tech sector is often most associated with rip-roaring technocapitalism that has catapulted its many founders into stratospheric levels of wealth, the sector as a whole is not devoid of a sense of social purpose.
As is the case with many other industries, the charity sector has been revolutionized by the emergence of new technologies such as powerful mobile devices, high-speed internet, and advanced artificial intelligence. These new technologies have been embraced by not-for-profit corporations, charities, and other ethically conscious businesses seeking to do good in the world.
This increased focus on technology that promotes social good has been helped by the rise of so-called ESG investing that provides criteria by which the moral, ethical, and social contributions of companies can be measured. ESG has become a hot topic in the trading and investment world, with both individual and institutional investors in recent years pouring capital into companies with strong ESG records.
Out of the many tech companies that are embracing their ESG credentials and pursuing social good, which have the best apps out there at present?
inLieu
Although social pressures often dictate that birthdays, Christmas, and other important events should be celebrated with a gift, these gifts far too often end up being thrown away, re-gifted, or forgotten about altogether. Not only does this create massive amounts of unnecessary waste each year, but it also prevents funds from getting into the hands of those who need it most.
This is the problem that the incredible app inLieu seeks to solve. It acts as a way for individuals to make a heartfelt and meaningful gift by donating to a charitable cause that their friends and family truly believe in.
It works like a social network and payment portal – which the founder has described as the “Venmo of donating” – where you can make direct donations to verified charities.
GiveWell
If you have ever found yourself startled by the sheer amount of charitable causes out there, then GiveWell is the perfect website for you!
GiveWell conducts extensive research on a massive range of charities to see which organizations are doing the best work for causes you truly believe in. GiveWell not only does the due diligence you might not be capable of the undertaking but also brings a whole new level of transparency to a sector that has seen its fair share of dubious organizations over the years.
GiveWell crunches the numbers and evaluates the most up-to-date information available to give you the added bit of confidence you want when making a charitable donation. It makes it easier than ever to find high-impact, effective ways of donating to worthy charitable causes.
VolunteerMatch
If you are like many other individuals and find yourself inspired by the thought of contributing to a social movement or charitable cause but aren’t sure where to get started, then VolunteerMatch could be the perfect app for you!
As the name suggests, VolunteerMatch provides users with current information on thousands of local organizations that need volunteers to help them meet their charitable goals. This could be anything from delivering groceries to the needy to tutoring kids or cleaning up a local lake.
VolunteerMatch provides a much-needed digital infrastructure to match eager volunteers with non-profit organizations across North America!
Aerial
Aerial is a powerful app that provides by far the easiest way to track and manage your personal carbon footprint and helps you to work towards a more sustainable lifestyle. It does this by allowing you to track your emissions by logging local or international travel, as well as giving you an easy way to offset these emissions.
It combines this with powerful insights into how you can work towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Aerial makes it easier than ever to offset your carbon footprint and donate to environmental organizations that are doing good throughout the world.
ShareTheMeal
ShareTheMeal is an initiative championed by the United Nations World Food Programme, which is committed to fighting hunger.
The World Food Programme provides humanitarian assistance to around 80 million people each year by providing vital food resources and nourishment across 80 countries. It is completely funded by donations, with about 90% of what it receives going directly to these causes.
The ShareTheMeal app makes it easy to support the incredible work the World Food Programme does. So, if you want to help fight world hunger, download the app now and make a donation!
This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
