Daily Dose of Awesome: Charity Miles

I'm always looking for new ways to philanthropy.  I especially like things that raise money for causes that don't cost any money out of pocket.  I already talked about GreaterGood, I started putting epoll points towards the charities, and I recently learned of an app called Charity Miles that raises money for charities based on how far you walk.

Owning a dog, it seemed like a natural fit for me.  I was never really big on apps, but this one piqued my interest.  Sadly, it doesn't work with Windows phones, but I was able to borrow an iphone for the purpose of supporting the various charities.  A quarter for a mile may not seem like much, but it does add up and it was more than the respective organizations had before.

A lot of the big name charities are on there.  You have St. Jude's hospital, the SPCA, Wounded Warrior's, the Michael J Fox foundation as well as a slew of others.

Better yet, the app itself is free and incredibly easy to use.  If you have a compatible device, I would highly recommend getting the app, especially if you go for regular walks or runs.

For those with Windows phones, there is an app called Phiruntrophy.  It operates on a similar principle (raising money based on how far you run/walk), but the charities aren't as good.  There are only a handful, most based in Indonesia.  Because the charity descriptions aren't in English, I don't really know what the causes are.  I do use the app, however, as I have been able to raise money for something called the "Run for the Light" event that helps pay for cataract surgery (again, in Indonesia).

You can also support Earth Hour, but I'm perplexed by that one as it is more of an idea (turn appliances off for an hour a day to save energy and resources) than an organization that needs funding.  Still, it's better than nothing.

These apps are great.  Not only can you support causes with no cost out of pocket (great for people on a tight budget), but it acts as incentive to go out and get some exercise.  If you already do the latter, than you can add another layer of satisfaction by helping people at the same time.