By Catherine Feeney
The festive season will be tough for millions of Aussies this year, with the cost-of-living crisis biting hard. With research showing that 48% of Australians would be happy for a charity to receive a donation in their name instead of a traditional gift, it’s worth considering how your festive dollar could do the most good.
A range of digital retailers, tech-focused organisations and platforms are baking purpose into their offerings, making savvy shoppers’ lives a little easier. From a digital subscription to help reduce food waste over the holiday period, to an app to make giving to charities more straightforward, here are some tech-forward suggestions from StartGiving.
Why not consider supporting ethical and sustainable businesses, B Corps and social enterprises via online marketplaces like Goods4Good or Hey Good Thing? Both sites are beautifully curated, with every gift telling the story of positive social change.
If donating directly to charity is more your jam, Charitabl puts all your favourite charities – now over 39,000 and counting – in the palm of your hand. Swiping right never felt so good. Or you could check out LittlePhil, which allows you to securely support scores of campaigns from not-for-profit organisations around Australia and see your impact first-hand. You can even gift crypto.
With around 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from food produced but wasted, being more mindful of how we shop for, prepare and reuse what we eat can significantly impact your wallet and carbon footprint. For a nominal fee, Sleigh in the Kitchen, a festive season portal, can help households plan an abundant and generous holiday with less waste.
And how about a last-minute gift idea for the budding sportsperson in your life from Swysh? You could gift a personalised video from a host of sports stars, with 10% of the transaction cost given to charity. The Sydney startup has already donated $1 million to good causes.
