I came across this site purely by accident over two years ago. At that time, with people I knew dying of old age, or caused by illness like cancer, and with the endless string of advertisements on the television for third world countries where people have no food, or where they want money for eye operations, it made me think that really I did not contribute enough towards world issues.
I decided to do a google check and look into charities and I came across this site. I wanted to do something, although I was as lethargic about it as most people are. We talk about good causes, whilst we do nothing.
WHAT IS FREEDONATION.COM
Well it is a site that was conceived in 1999 in order to use the Internet as a platform for collecting money for charity. The charities that it supports are widespread, from Aids Research to Housing the Homeless, to Protecting the Environment and Ending Hunger, Cancer Research, etc.
What I like about the site is that it tackles problems that we as human beings tend to sweep under the carpet until those particular problems touch our lives, which is too late.
HOW IT WORKS
The more used the site is, the more money it receives. There are companies that are sponsors and that pay for every time a member of the public like you or me click on the free donation button. In other words, it costs you nothing more than clicking that button, and every time it is clicked, a few more cents are paid to a charity.
Whatever you do on the Internet, as an internet user, you click through pages. Would it hurt to save this page to favourites, and click a few times a day ?
LETHARGY
I am as bad as everyone else. I have thoughts about doing something that will change the world and yet I don’t ! I have travelled through countries where hunger is normal and where people live in cardboard boxes and yet I do nothing about it except talk, and in these particular circumstances, talk is cheap.
WELL ALL THAT HAS CHANGED
I have now saved this page to my computer, and every day I shall click a link at least ten times to help others because although financially I cannot help people as I am short of money myself, I can click on the site and know I have actually done something to help someone in this world and it is the very least I can do.
SITE NAVIGATION
When you arrive at the home page you are greeted with all the charities that this site donates to. If you are in the fortunate position of being able to give money through a company or suchlike, then your obligations are minimal. You simply become a sponsor. If, like me, you are an individual who wants to help, you can go into any section here that interests you, i.e. Aids, Cancer, Education, Arts, Homeless, Hunger, Children, and each section is clearly explained, with a fact section, a donation section, and totals earned for each cause.
HOW MUCH MONEY GOES ON ADMINISTRATION ?
Here, I do not know the answer. I do know however, that your click makes a difference and that if you decide not to make that small commitment, then it is a little foolhardy. What does a click cost ? It costs one second of your time. I clicked six times this morning and every time I switch on the Internet, I shall click six times and eventually when you count up a lifetime of clicks, I shall have made a difference instead of just being too lazy to do something.
AWARD
The site has won the Yahoo Internet Life Award for 2001 which speaks reams about the work that they do.
Take a look at the totals that they have gained for each charity. It is impressive and you know, people like you make a difference. It is a gathering of people that make the money on this site, and if you save it to your favourites and click at least once a day, you are helping the global problems that maybe do not affect you, although at some time in your life they will.
I am fifty odd years old. People I know are dying of cancer. I don’t know anyone who is dying of hunger, although there are a load of celebrities that I have seen die of aids. As my life gets into the half century mark, I do not see myself as a “do gooder”, and I probably never will be one, but even I can make a difference, and so can you who are reading this. In the number of minutes it takes you to read this review for example, you can make about 20 donations that cost you nothing.
I agree with this site’s philosophy completely. Take money from sponsors, and rely on the public to click.
The site is easy to find. Simply type into your browser http://www.freedonation.com and if I have converted one lethargic person into doing something, then think of the impact that each person participating can make. Spread the word and be a part of human solidarity to help those who need it most.
IT COSTS YOU NOTHING BUT A FEW CLICKS.
I click daily as part of my online routine, and hope in some small way that I made a difference, and that you will too.