CHICAGO, Illinois— Apps are the forefront for change. Not only do they make lives simpler, they also allow people to contact others that are thousands of miles away. Social media is an obvious player in this technological revolution, however, it would not have been as accessible without the creation of mobile apps. Apps direct today’s communication networks and these 11 apps are making huge strides in the fight against global poverty.
Apps that donate money:
1. Charity Miles turns steps into dollars.
After opening the app, select a charity, and then choose an activity: outdoor walk/run, indoor walk/run, or outdoor bike. Every mile on the bike earns 10 cents, while every mile walked/ran earns 25 cents to the chosen charity. This app is free for the iPhone and Android.
2. Donate a Photo
For every photo shared through the app, J&J donates one dollar to the cause of your choice. One photo can help a newborn breathe via Save the Children, and give a child a life-saving vaccine via Shot@Life.
This app is free for the iPhone and Android.
3. One Today
Finding charitable projects has never been easier. Users can find new causes and nonprofits everyday, thanks to this app’s easy-to-use feed. One Today can be used with social media to connect with friends and family to outmatch each other’s donations.
This app is free for the iPhone and Android.
Apps that donate food and water:
4. FoodCircles
Search and buy a restaurant dish in Grand Rapids, MI (and soon Seattle) and 100 percent of your purchase will be donated towards feeding a person in need in your city. You can pay as little as $1 or more for the dish, and each dollar goes straight to providing someone a meal via a local food justice organization. Simply make a purchase on the app or site and show restaurant staff your voucher to redeem alongside regular food or drink purchase.
This app is free for the iPhone and Android, but only supports restaurants in Grand Rapids and soon Seattle. Contact them here to request your city launched.
5. Give Your Calories
Charity Tap uses advanced image recognition technology to snap a photo of food and convert its caloric value into dollars, which are then donated to the international humanitarian organization, Action Against Hunger. A photographed meal that is less than 200 calories gives one dollar, between 200-300 calories gives two dollars, between 300-400 calories gives five dollars, and every additional 100 calories beyond the five dollar amount gives an extra dollar. This app can also scan barcodes to find the exact caloric value.
This app is free for the iPhone, but is not yet available for the Android.
6. Charity Tap
With each tap on the bowl, the United Nations World Food Programme donates one grain of rice to people all over the world. It is a fun and easy way to give back.
This app is free for the iPhone.
7. Tap It Clean
This Android-friendly take on “Charity Tap” requires users to tap the water clean of junk before it fills the screen. Every game played gives clean and safe water to people worldwide via Water.org.
This app is free for the Android.
Educational and interactive apps:
8. My Life as a Refugee
Created by the UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, this interactive game gives users the ability to live in the footsteps of a refugee. Users make realistic decisions surrounding civil injustices, wars, and so much more.
This app is free for the iPhone and Android.
9. Free2Work
Simply scan a product’s barcode and learn about the company’s history of forced labor and child labor.
This app will soon be available for the iPhone and Android.
10. Good Guide
This app also uses barcode-scanning to list the medical, environmental, and social impacts of over 250,000 household foods and products. The Good Guide (GG) score (out of 10) calculates the average scores (out of 10) among the three categories.
This app is free for the iPhone.
Apps that provide energy:
11. HTC Power To Give
Install the app, charge your phone, and connect to Wi-Fi. HTC Power To Give works in the background, collecting the unused processing power and delivering it to the project of your choice. This extra power can collect vast pool of data and generate solutions and cures for today’s global issues and illnesses.
This app is free for the Android.
– Lin Sabones
Sources: Charity Miles, Donate a Photo, One Today, Join Food Circles, Action Against Hunger, CharityTap, Google Store, My Life As a Refugee, Free2Work, Good Guide, HTC
Photo: Charity Matters