You can admit it. You’re busy watching a viral video starring adorable animals instead of working right now. It’s OK, your secret is safe with us.
Plus, we have really good news for you! Now your favorite way to procrastinate is a charitable action.
Pedigree New Zealand is raising money for it’s doggie adoption drive in the easiest and most effective way possible. Watch this video of precious little puppies for one minute, and you’ll be raising money for dogs in need. Yes, it’s that simple.
So how does watching puppies being adorable translate into donating to charity? YouTube has a feature called monetization. If you create your own content and it’s approved, YouTube will place ads inside or near the video. Whoever uploaded the content then earns 55% of the advertising revenue. Therefore, for every view this video gets, money will go towards feeding, treating and finding homes for dogs in need.
In the same vein, CharityAnimalTV promises to donate 100% of their YouTube ad revenue profits to charity. The channel is full of adorable animals of all kinds, so the sky is the limit when it comes to raising funds.
Considering this is the generation that coined the term ‘slacktivism’ – actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement – this is a brilliant way to ask for help, without really have to ask at all.
In another example of using social media for social good, Break.com recently launched an initiative called Prank It Forward. The project brought together influential YouTube pranksters to use their powers for good and raise funds for social change campaigns. For every 1,000 views the site donates $1 to DoSomething.org.
Their first prank involved a waitress in California, who experienced the best shift ever. Chelsea Roff was the deserving recipient of four incredible tips: $1,000 in ash, a free trip to Hawaii, a new job opportunity and a brand new car! Roff was chosen because of her background of giving back to her community.
With millions of active users, easy accessibility and messages being spread faster than ever before, using social media for social good is a no brainer.