Donate by shopping? There’s an app for that
Do Some Good app allows shoppers to choose charities that will benefit by their purchases from participating companies
Do Some Good, the smartphone app that allows you to drive donations to charities by shopping at “Good Companies,” launched Monday in Kelowna.
Do Some Good was previously known as Volinspire, a technology originally designed to encourage volunteering.
The change in direction still fosters volunteerism by helping connect people to causes they are passionate about.
It also allows people to see and share stories about social change.
There’s of list of 100 Good Companies that will donate a portion of your purchase to community organizations such as the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank, Canadian Cancer Society, BC SPCA, Canadian Mental Health Association and Canadian Red Cross.
Some of the companies in Kelowna include Robertson’s Clothing and Shoes, Pro Oil Change, Oranj Fitness, Connect Hearing, Dittos Office Solutions, FSH restaurant, Bellamy Homes, Teaberry’s, Pihl Law, Grant Thornton accountants, Avalon Event Rentals, Royal LePage, and Prospera, Envision, Valley First and Interior Savings credit unions.
Last year, the Good Companies on Do Some Good’s list donated $2.4 million to charities and their employees volunteered 54,867 hours.
Do Some Good felt a smartphone app was the way to go because the average person uses his or her cellphone 133 times a day.
The mobile app, available for free download at DoSomeGood.ca, allows shoppers to take a photo of their receipt after shopping at a Good Company and choose what charity they would like the percentage donation to go to.
“Our core social mission is to increase citizen and corporate engagement with worthy causes and help build strong communities,” said Do Some Good founder Sheldon Gardiner.
“We knew a mobile app was the key to engagement. We wanted to make it easy for anyone to get involved. Small actions add up to big impact in our community.”
The Do Some Good app was introduced Monday at an event at the Okanagan Centre for Innovation in downtown Kelowna.
While the company that developed the app is based in Kelowna, Do Some Good’s aim is to go national.
“Our goal is also to develop the Good Company network across Canada in as many cities as we can,” said Gardiner.
“Doing good is good business, and our platform helps to share the stories of Good Companies as well. Shopping and doing business with communityminded companies makes an impact as well. All roads lead back to stronger communities.”