Overview
The folks behind profit-for-purpose eateries Gratia and Folonomo have come up with a brand new way for you to give to charity. And it's dead easy. All you have to do is shop online — in your regular fashion, at your favourite stores — and, with every purchase, a percentage goes straight to a not-for-profit of your choice. To make it happen, simply download the free Folo browser extension, which takes about 30 seconds.
In case you're wondering, this miracle doesn't cost you (or your nominated charity) a cent. In fact, it's the retailers' pockets that cover your donations. "It works according to a cash back system," explains Folo's Jaimee Abict. "A percentage of what the user spends online goes into their Folo account. This money accumulates and, once a year, the user decides to keep it or give it away."
More than 700 retailers are already on-board. These include big names like Expedia, Dan Murphy's, Eurocar, Woolworths, Coles, The Iconic and Sephora. And, later in the year, the Folo team plans to roll out across the US, where the online shopping industry is worth around $300 billion annually.
"Folo has the potential to solve the age-old problem of regular fundraising. And its scale can't be overstated," Abict says. "500 users spending $95 a month would raise more than $30,000 in a year. Beyond that, the numbers get ridiculous. A million users could raise over $60 million per year."
Users get to choose from hundreds of charities, including large organisations, like Medecins sans Frontieres, the Australian Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul, as well as smaller ones, such as the Australian Breastfeeding Association, Interchange Inner East and the Victorian Deaf Society. If you can't make up your mind, you can opt to support a cause, like climate change, indigenous equality or global education.