Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 11:11:17 PM
I think today I'm going to change things up a bit today--instead of having me do that talking (writing), I'm going to let you all read about what others are saying about Search Kindly. From what I've been able to find, there have been about 4 different news stories written about Search Kindly and I'm going to post them all here so that all of our users can have a look-see for themselves.
The following piece was written by a student at Susquehanna University (the Managing Editor of Design, Jessica Sprenkle, to be more precise). I thought it was a really well-written piece--thanks Jessica. For the record, I have absolutely no idea who this Jessica-person is. Just another kind-hearted soul, I guess...just like all the rest of you guys out there .
Search gives to charity
By Jessica Sprenkle
Managing Editor of Design
Like most college students, there are many, many things that I would rather do than finish my homework. Just like many of you, I spend a lot of that time on Facebook and other Web sites, perusing useless information and generally being unproductive.
Most of the time, nothing comes out of those long blocks of time except an increased pressure to finish my homework in record speed.
However, a few weeks ago, while reading a description of Barack Obama's platform by a group that supports him, I did stumble across something productive: the Web site searchkindly.org.
A lone comment directed me to this search engine, which quite possibly could be the simplest charitable cause ever made.
The non-profit organization based in Illinois revolves around the idea of using an online search engine something we do countless times each day. The group has connected with Google to provide the exact same search results that you would get if you used www.google.com, but 100 percent of the money generated by the site is donated to charity.
The idea is straightforward. Advertisers pay for banner ads on the Search Kindly Web page (not pop-ups). Each hit amounts to approximately 1/3 of a cent, according to www.searchkindly.org/how_it_works. Other site plain, old Google included would pocket that change, which adds up to quite a sum when the sites log millions of hits per day.
But Search Kindly, as a non-profit organization, donates those fractions to a different charity each month.
According to the Web site, "The whole point of Search Kindly is to take something that you'd be doing anyway, like surfing the Internet, and turn it into a really meaningful action. We know that most people, like us, would love to be able to give limitless amounts of money to those in need, but who has a limitless amount of money?"
College students certainly don't. But just by switching your homepage from Google to Search Kindly, you have the ability to donate someone else's money to charity for free.
In January, the organization raised $242.72 for Pennies of Promise, which is raising money to build a new elementary school in West Virginia to replace Marsh Fork Elementary School. The current building is located too close to a coal loading silo and is a health hazard to the children who attend the school.
February's charity is www.savedarfur.org, a coalition that aims to "raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities." As of Feb. 6, $44.40 will be donated to the Save Darfur Coalition. (Actually, in the half hour it took me to write this, the amount went up to $44.43.)
In the past, the non-profit has raised money for Oprah's Angel Network and Invisible Children, Inc which is showing a documentary at Susquehanna tonight.
Doing a good deed will never be easier than this. Using Search Kindly, you don't need to donate any of your own time, money or labor to change the world
