So where does the money actually come from?
Those are pretty straightforward.
But apps that let you donate for free have to pull their money fromsomewhere.
(Some collect advertising revenue instead, or in addition.)
Or take Donate a Photo for another example.
Its run by Johnson & Johnson, who have anongoing commitment to benefit health-related charity efforts.
They say they will donate a dollar for each photo you upload.
But if you hadnt uploaded your photo, that dollar would have sat around until somebody else did.
So its true that you made their charitable giving possible, in a way.
The company could also spend some of their own advertising dollars to promote their new partnership with the charity.
Therefore, we deliver premium quality advertising thats a higher quality compared to ordinary banner ads.
In other words, the company wants to get premium…advertising when they donate to charity.
And who are they advertising to?
Lets take a look at where your money is going.
We already mentioned advertising, but this gets a little more complicated than just showing ads.
Your dollars in Charity Miles take a more circuitous route.
Say youre walking to benefit hunger relief organizationFeeding America.
So, of course, you have a big Humana ad on your screen during the walk.
The charity apps themselves are sometimes for-profit businesses.
Over 98 percent of donations go directly toward the charitys work.
Also, of course, youre giving the restaurant your lunch budget.
Charity Miles: A complex web link of advertising and promotional offers, as discussed above.
Theres even an option to earn points for your Walgreens loyalty card.
They donotuse your photos for advertising Johnson & Johnson products, though.
Tinbox: Your facebook data, as in the screenshot above.
Give2Charity: yourlocation everywhere you goas long as the app is installed.
These apps are not scams: there really are charities that benefit at the end of the day.
Theres one more caveat.
Beware of mentally categorizing your interaction with an app as being the same as actually donating to a charity.
So dont be fooled into thinking you already donated.
Remember,its not your money.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
