Image via Complex Original
They say charity starts at home. Nowadays, it actually starts directly from your smartphone. Our mobile devices are allowing us to showcase our integrity and commitment to service—engaging in numerous acts of kindness through our touchscreens that help improve the lives of others in our community, and globally. But with life proving to be unpredictably chaotic and uncertain at times, it’s become incredibly difficult to keep up with our humanitarian efforts on the daily.
Luckily we’ve been blessed with the gift of mobile apps, which have the power of transforming us into digital philanthropists. Be it assisting the homeless with shelter, donating meals for world hunger, or serving as a stand-by EMT, your next big contribution to society is just a tap away. Here are some of the best apps for giving back.
FoodCircles
Platform: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
It doesn’t get more noble than contributing a full day’s worth of meals to a child in a Third World country. That’s exactly what FoodCircles accomplishes. The food app encourages users to search for restaurant vouchers that when processed by a server donates 100 percent of your meal’s dollar value toward feeding a child in any area of the world. You also have the luxury of requesting restaurants to show support for other local businesses. Bon appétit!
Donate A Photo
Platforms: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
You’re already snapping and sharing photos on the daily, right? Now you can capture images and raise awareness at the same time with the help of Johnson and Johnson’s new app. Donate A Photo transforms mobile photogs into digital humanitarians by allowing them to share pictures and earn a $1 for each one, which is then donated to a charity of preference. People can donate up to one image per day—making it possible to contribute more than a year’s worth of greenbacks.
Check-In For Good
Platform: iOS,Android
App Price: Free
Consider this the charitable equivalent to Foursquare. The geo-targeted service connects businesses with local do-gooders to raise money. Use it to search for a subsidy hotspot, to which after checking in will generate a donation from the participating establishment for a cause of your choice. Those who participate in the campaign will earn a promotional offer from the business that is good for a return visit.
Be My Eyes
Platform: iOS
App Price: Free
Assisting the visually impaired is definitely an admirable gesture. Granted many of the visually impaired are capable of getting to their desired locations safely, this special disability app ensures second-hand assistance with the touch a button. It connects the blind to nearby volunteers, where they can communicate and request sighted assistance on a video call. Committing to a request takes no more than a couple of minutes of your day, which is less than what you normally spend while browsing your IG feed during lunchtime.
WeShelter
Platform: iOS
App Price: Free
Homelessness is a global epidemic. WeShelter helps fund housing for the less fortunate without tapping into the users pocket. Whenever encountering someone in need, inform the app and it will instantly “unlock” a donation from a corporate sponsor. That money is then directed to a local nonprofit that will assist the individual. The app even provides direct access to 311 for outreach support during emergencies.
One Today
Platforms: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
Created by Google, One Today introduces mobile users to a new charity every day, while granting the option to pledge a minimum of a dollar to every one. The app embraces social engagement by allowing using users to join its community, plus rally friends and family to grant donations, which can be matched by others. You’ll also get a breakdown of each charity and what the donation goes toward.
PulsePoint
Platform: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
CPR is a lifesaving technique everyone should know. And with sudden cardiac arrest to be considered one of the leading causes of death in the USA, PulsePoint manages to put trained bystanders on alert during life-support situations. It has the capability of directing them to a nearby victim and the nearest automated-external defibrillator, until the EMS team arrive. Help save lives on the go.
iRecycle
Platform: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
Pollution remains one of the biggest global killers and affects over 100 million people. iRecycle was designed to inspire a new generation of environmentalists who look to save the Earth. The app informs eco-conformists where they can dispense their trash, while offering a database of over 350 materials that can be recycled. Numerous categories are accounted for: including Automotive, Batteries, Construction, Household, Metal, Paper, Plastic, and more.
Charity Miles
Platforms: iOS, Android
App Price: Free
Many of us reserve our pocket change for the homeless when commuting. Here is an app designed to keep those coins saved for a morning coffee, while you earn side-donation money by running instead. Charity Miles encourages athletic types and hardcore runners to give back by earning cash for every mile they bike (10 cents) or run/walk (25 cents), and then donating it toward an aid organization.
GiveGab
Platform: iOS
App Price: Free
GiveGab serves as a social network for those who seek to provide their services out the kindness of their heart. It provides access to hundreds of volunteering opportunities. In addition, the app allows you to create and search for enlistments based on interests or specific nonprofits. The social component of the site makes it possible to communicate with other members and share experiences too. How will you step forward?