idealist.org

I'm Not Procrastinating, I'm Making a Difference!

In the world of creating positive social change, it often takes hard work, diligence, and an impressive amount of fundraising to make something happen. Today, all you need to do is send some emails and chat online--that is, go about your normal business--and money in your name will be donated to one of ten social organizations of your choosing, including UNICEF, stopglobalwarming.org, and the National AIDS Fund.

Skeptical? Just check out Microsoft's program, i'm. You register for the program, decide which organization to support, and begin emailing or chatting. For every time you use their program, Microsoft "shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with an organization of your choice from a selection of some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes." There's no cap on the amount Microsoft with donate, and since initiating in March 2007 has donated $1,579,720. And, for the next week or so, you can get involved with the i'm talkathon, chatting and emailing with other folks to get Microsoft to surge in their giving!

Already have an account with someone else, but interested in the idea? Consider using Facebook applications to advocate for your cause: (Lil) Green Patch, for example, donates money to Rainforest Reforestation projects based on the volume in which people that use the application. Similarly, Carpool allows you to see who else is driving along the same route you do, and connect with them so that you can ride together.

What other programs for positive social change have you found online? Post your comments and suggestions here!