As a student, it’s pretty much a given that money is scarce. With school bills and other expenses, raising money for charity seems out of the question. However, there are many ways to to help charities in your everyday life that won’t hurt your funds.

Charity Miles is a great app if you’ve made a new year’s resolution to exercise more. While using the app, every mile that you run, walk or bike earns money for one of the many charities they support, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and Alzheimer’s Association. Users earn $0.25 for every mile done by foot and $0.10 for every mile done by bike. There’s also an indoor mode for users who prefer to use the treadmill during the colder months. The app is free and available on both Android and iPhone devices and helps provide the motivation to be more active while also helping others.

AmazonSmile is a website run by Amazon and nearly identical to Amazon itself. The difference though? When shopping through AmazonSmile, 0.5% of your eligible purchases goes towards a charity of your choosing. While it may not sound like much, it quickly adds up. As of November 2017, charities have received $69,949,133.28. There are nearly one million charities that you can choose to support including Doctors Without Borders, American Cancer Society and Best Friends Animal Society. Just by typing five extra letters when searching for amazon.com, you can help contribute to a cause that you care about.

Bry Galloway, a junior history major, first started using AmazonSmile when her academy promoted it on their Facebook page and alumni newsletter. “I’m gonna buy things from Amazon anyway,” she said. “I might as well help my academy in the process.” Now, the purchases she makes from Amazon can help go towards scholarships for her high school. “It’s a really great way to be charitable,” she added.

Donate a Photo is an app available on iPhone and Android devices from the company Johnson & Johnson that allows its users to simply donate a photo each day to raise money and awareness to one of the many trusted causes on their list. For each photo donated, Johnson & Johnson gives $1 to the cause that you choose, giving you the opportunity to raise $365 a year. They currently have eight causes to choose from including essential surgery, education and equality and women’s and children’s health. Photos donated are uploaded onto their Donate a Photo gallery and users are encouraged to upload their photos to social media as well to spread awareness.

Walk for a Dog by WoofTrax is another great app if you’re looking to be more active this year. Similar to Charity Miles, Walk for a Dog will donate money to your local shelter based on how much you walk. While users can add their dog’s information into the app, owning a dog is not required. By simply choosing the “Walk for Cassie” option, users can continue to use the app as they walk. Depending on your phone’s model, you can also use the app while on treadmills and stationary bikes. This app is great and easy to especially if you want to get out more with your furry friend and raise money for a good cause.

Amanda McCarter is a junior studying biomedical science.

Apps for Making a Change

Questions or comments?