Why I love Philanthroper
In the age of social couponing and daily deal sites, I’ve been hesitant to buy into the eat-sushi-while-skydiving type of discount, but I seem to be an ever-decreasing minority. As a result, several sites like Groupon and LivingSocial have gained immense popularity. One site that has managed to bring a sparkle to my eye is Philanthroper, a unique daily charity donation site.
Borrowing a line from social couponing, Philanthroper is a social donation site offering daily donation opportunities with an ever-changing list of charities. I’ve been fascinated with Philanthroper since inception, and I’ve had an account since way back when donations were attached to cell phone bills. Philanthroper has since streamlined the process, offering to link donations to the donor’s paypal account (who doesn’t have one of those nowadays?).
It’s fast, easy, and empowering. My cup of tea.
The Basic Gist
Everyone has $1.00, and we all know that there isn’t much you can get for it. I remember being in high school and knowing that a dollar would buy a gallon of gasoline, a slushie, a large pack of M&Ms, a cheeseburger, a cup of coffee, or a bottle of nail polish. I don’t think any of what I just mentioned is a dollar now, but that’s okay…I don’t really need a cheeseburger anyway.
What I do want is to feel like I’m saving the world. Like I am helping and contributing and supporting a worthwhile cause…and I’m not alone. What I don’t want is to be inconvenienced, wasting time filling out long online forms, creating one of those 12 digit user ids, entering in my street address, blah, blah, blah.
Thankfully, Philanthroper is quick, easy, and cheap. With causes changing daily, there is always an opportunity to pick and choose your organization or mission of choice. Giving $1.00 is compelling because you’re able to think to yourself, “Yeah, I’ve got that.”
Why Just $1.00?
Philanthroper’s website answers that question with:
“So you can donate another $1 tomorrow. And another the next day. Use Philanthroper daily, and we guarantee, you'll donate more over time than you would have otherwise plus it won't sting your bank account so badly. Use Philanthroper every day and you'll be on the right track to give more, more easily. If you're compelled to make a larger donation, fantastic. We always link their site. So go for it.”
It’s a hook, and a good one at that.
Ease of Use
The total time it took me to donate, from the time I got the email informing me that the charity of the day was one I’d like to support, to the time I got my donation confirmation from paypal was approximately one minute. It couldn’t be faster or easier, and I’m 100% okay with that.
After you’ve completed your transaction, Philanthroper invites you to share your donation with twitter followers and facebook friends. This is social media meets digital donation solicitation at its best.
Open Invitation
Another compelling facet of Philanthroper is the transparency they offer. They don’t take any fees off of the donation, and they’ve concocted clever ways to weave around paypal fees. They keep a digital application process on their website for companies interested in advertising as well as for charities hoping to be featured. With a variety of causes ranging from human rights, animal advocacy, the arts, disaster response, education, poverty alleviation, etc. it appeals to a broad audience. After years interacting with countless charities, it was refreshing to have the opportunity to donate to organizations I was unfamiliar with and could learn more about.
If you're looking for an accessible and interesting way to donate, I strongly recommend giving Philanthroper a try.
Twitter: @philanthropr