GoodSearch

How many times a day do you go to Google (or whatever your preferred search engine is) to look something up? Personally, Google is my top-visited webpage...by a landslide...and I'm sure if I summed up the amount of time I've spent on it during my lifetime, it would total up to hours, days, or even weeks spent searching. I'm not at all saying that's a bad thing - in this day and age, search engines have become embedded in our culture - a tool we rely on for information.

But what if every time you searched, money was donated to the charity of your choice, without you having to pay a cent? When I found GoodSearch, I was so impressed by this concept, as simple as it may be, and am now trying to slowly phase out Google and incorporate GoodSearch into my daily routine. At first, I was worried that my search results wouldn't be as reliable or helpful, but GoodSearch is powered/supported by Yahoo!, so it's basically like using Yahoo's search engine and donating to charity at the same time. Personally, so far I have GoodSearched for Mortar Board, a senior honor society I am involved with at UCLA that always could use fundraising efforts, as well as the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA), a cause which I am very passionate about.

Even if you don't have any causes in mind to support, GoodSearch has a list you can peruse of 90,000+ charities and non-profits that you can help just by using their search engine. This is an awesome way to give back and contribute just by doing what you'd normally do on the Internet, and I think it's really admirable that this organization allows people everywhere to contribute to virtually any charity without paying a cent.

For anyone wondering how they can take time out of their busy lives to give back to a cause they're passionate about, this website is the solution to that problem. Although there are many efforts that can be made without donating money, the fact of the matter is that for some causes, such as research on diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and Parkinson's, what they most need right now is financial support - which presents a problem to those who want to contribute to finding a cure (or whatever the cause may be), but don't feel they have the means to do it. This website allows you to do your part to provide it for them, no matter how much money you personally have available to give, all while receiving reliable search results in return. So check it out...www.goodsearch.com !

-Maddie :)

P.S.: On the same note, I really love The Breast Cancer Site, which donates money to fund free mammograms for women every time you click (a click a day). The Hunger Site, The Animal Rescue Site, The Literacy Site, and The Rainforest Site have similar concepts. Happy clicking! :)