I really like daily reminders by email. I particularly enjoy the following three email reminders for good causes, whether for a nudge to do something good myself or to keep up with the "good" news. These email reminders or newsletters help focus attention on a single opportunity or on a menu of several. They present a convenient way to learn about and take action on ideas that matter.
Philanthroper
Philanthroper.com/Click to enlarge
Mark Wilson, founder of Philanthroper, says that the unusual name is "our take on the 21st century 'philanthropist.' If you're a philanthroper, you give a little to a lot of causes, you make doing good a habit rather than a once-a-year occurrence."
Philanthroper is in the same category as Sparked, a website that encourages us to volunteer a little bit of our time to a cause. It is also a riff on those daily deal sites, but without the consumerist thing. Philanthroper asks us to donate a small amount of money daily, only $1 (you can donate up to $10 though), to a chosen good cause.
Philanthoper is a wonderful way to find out about charities that you might never otherwise hear of. You might decide to make one or two of them the recipient of larger donations. Be sure to read the FAQ at the site...you'll be happy about the info on fees (very low), the way they team with nonprofits, and the safeguards for donors.
The Daily Good
Good/Click to enlarge
Published by Good Magazine, a quarterly publication for "people who give a damn," The Daily Good gives me the feature story of the day plus links back to the Good website/blog that is packed with information.
The Good Magazine (publishing since 2006) costs $25 a year, but you can subscribe to the emailed daily alert for free. Good publishes in the areas of politics, education, environment, cities, and several more. It is particularly devoted to infographics of all kinds with some of the best that I've seen.
Individuals and organizations can also use Good Maker, a Good platform, to create actions for good. Start with a "challenge," invite people to submit ideas about how to meet that particular challenge, encourage the Good community to vote on those ideas, and then see the best ideas receive awards to help bring those ideas to life. It's fun to simply scroll through the ideas to find one that you want to vote for.
The Daily Good is an excellent read whether you're a donor, involved in the charitable or social enterprise sector, or just interested in the social good tilted news.
Care2 Causes Daily
Care2.com/Click to enlarge
Care2 is huge, and the choices of things to do there are pretty dizzying. It's a website that provides information about causes and news about the well-being or lack thereof of the planet. Care2 has been around from the beginning of the Internet it seems, founded by Randy Paynter in 1998. Care2 is interesting for a lot of reasons, including the facts that it is closing in on 18 million members, and that it is a social enterprise, not a nonprofit. Care2 is a profitable, privately funded company and a B-Corporation. You can read about its business model here.
Ok, back to the subject...the Care2 Causes Daily. This is an email newsletter that highlights as many as 19 (the number in my most recent issue) stories ranging from animal rights to politics to global warming (you can personalize the topics).
What I like about the daily email is that I can scan quickly through the stories and click through to any that interest me. It cuts Care2 down to a manageable menu. From that menu I can choose to read about an issue, participate in the click-to-donate program, sign a petition or take one of the daily actions. To subscribe to the totally free newsletter, look for the subscribe form on the newsletter page. The Causes Newsletter is the second one down.
