ChangingThePresent.org claims that it will transform nonprofits the way that malls tranformed shopping.
The website offers a marketplace for philanthropy. You prbably heard about this new trend in the media. People are discovering that the best way to show you care for someone isn’t giving them something they don’t need, but rather in doing something to make the world a better place, in their name. Instead of getting another fruitcake, toaster or ugly sweater that you don’t need, this holiday season your gifts can make a difference.
Using ChangingThePresent.org you can browse by cause to find over a thousand donation opportunities or search by name to find hundreds of nonprofits, and see their offerings.
I liked the “Hall of Shame” – a page that reveals the ridiculous gifts people spend money on and the ability to create a Wish list of the causes that are close to your heart.
The only “catch” is the transaction fee that is deducted by the operating company:
ImportantGifts deducts only a small transaction fee of three percent and
thirty cents per donation item. These Transaction Fees cover ImportantGifts,
Inc.’s merchant expenses to credit card companies or other financial
institutions for processing the Website donation, and certain other
processing,
overhead and administrative costs.
Still, the site is nicely done and I recommend checking it out. Who knows? maybe instead of spending on another gadget we can bring some good to the world.
I'm a former general partner at google ventures, head of Google for Entrepreneurs in Europe and founding head of Campus London, Google's first physical hub for startups.
I'm also the founder of Techbikers, a non-profit bringing together the startup ecosystem on cycling challenges in support of Room to Read. Since inception in 2012 we've built 11 schools and 50 libraries in the developing world.
