Social media is a great way to stay in contact with friends and family, but did you know that it’s also being used to help generate funds for non-profits and charities the world over? Social games on networking sites like Facebook are taking a stand against world problems, as industry leaders like Zynga, online university programs and small time gamers alike organize events to benefit others. Check out these great examples of how people have been using social media and games to help improve the lives of others, and learn about how you can get involved.
1. Make an Impact on Twitter with Twestival
Twestival is a one day gathering of users all across the social media site in an effort to raise funds for more than 275 non-profit organizations around the globe. Last year, the festival raised $1.75 million through its grassroots campaign, with all events organized by volunteers. Twestival has been in operation since 2009, and each year donations and participation rates grow.
2. Zynga Partners with Audubon Society for Oil Spill Victims
One of the worst tragedies to strike the environment in the last few years was the massive oil spill in 2010 when a BP off-shore rig exploded. Zynga offered the Gulf Coast Turtle in its popular game FishVille, with 50 percent of the proceeds going directly toward the Audubon Society in order to help clean up animals affected by the disaster. Donations ranged from $5 to $40, and it is estimated that the game reached 100 million people worldwide.
3. The Humble Indie Bundle Lets Gamers Give What They Want
One of the best grassroots developments over the past few years is the Humble Indie Bundle, organized by Wolfire Games. The program has run since early 2009 and offers select bundles of independently developed games on a pay-what-you-want scheme, with gamers able to choose what portion of their donation will go to charity. Recent bundles have added the ability to get the previous bundle free, should a person’s donation match or exceed the average for their operating system. The most recent bundle raised over $1.1 million.
4. Charities Begin Using Virtual Gifts on Facebook to Raise Money
People love the idea of supporting their favorite charities and letting others know that they’re doing it. For this reason, apps like JustGiving are popular choices for people who want to support their favorite charities as it puts a badge on their Facebook profiles to advertise their causes. The ability to give these virtual badges to friends and family also alerts them to your specific charity, so they can also choose to make a donation through the service.
5. Selling Things Online With TinyPay.me
Selling items online has become a popular way to make money on the side for many people, which is why TinyPay.me has spread so quickly. It allows people to set up a shop to sell whatever they want, with the option of donating a portion of all proceeds to the charity of their choice. For this reason, it’s a valuable tool for people who want to create items to sell specifically for charity, as TinyPay.me handles all of the back-end work associated with donations. TinyPay.me now supports hundreds of popular charities and non-profit organizations across the globe.
There are numerous ways people can help their favorite charities and non-profit organizations online. Grassroots campaigns like these have sprung up all over the world, and with the help of social media like Twitter and Facebook donation rates are higher than ever before. The power of contribution is within the people’s hands, and with services like those listed, you can begin to see just how easy using social media and games to garner support for a cause can be.
(Source: www.triplepundit.com )