Search engines are a dime a dozen, but not all search engines are created equal. Just as there are different types of search engines (Web, image, video, news), there are also different search engine algorithms.
The most popular search engine is Google, which uses a combination of proprietary and open-source algorithms. Other popular search engines include Bing and Yahoo!, which both use Microsoft’s search engine algorithm.
There are also many smaller search engines that power specific niche search results, such as DuckDuckGo for privacy-focused search results or Dogpile for metasearch results.
One of the best parts about the advent of the internet is that with a world of information at our fingertips, people are starting to utilize technology to raise social consciousness and make a difference.
When we think of utilizing technology to change the world for the better, many of us probably envision signing a petition or developing new ways to manage waste in a manner where it won’t end up in our oceans.
But did you know you can do a bit of good every time you do a simple web search?
It’s true!
Here are six charity search engines you can utilize to do a good deed the next time you do an internet search for chic designer duds on the cheap or flavorful winter recipes.
GoodSearch
Imagine a mashup of Groupon paired with supporting the greater good. This is the innovative idea behind GoodSearch, an innovative search engine that allows users to scan discounts on everything from body lotion to laptops to eyeglasses.
GoodSearch offers a vast array of retailers to choose from when you’re in the mood for a little retail therapy but still want to save some cash. Some of the retailers featured include Abercrombie and Fitch, Barnes and Noble, Dell and buybuyBaby.
For every penny you spend, GoodSearch donates a percentage to charity. With more than 110,000 retail partners, GoodSearch provides an excellent way to cross people off your holiday gift-giving list while also raising money for important causes.
Ecosia
Billed as the search engine that plants trees, Ecosia does just that! Ecosia acts as an extension to Google Chrome and can be installed with a simple click. Once installed, just search as you usually would using Chrome!
Ecosia has a mission to plant more than a billion trees all around the globe by raising money through advertising revenue. When you click on a paid advertiser’s link, Ecosia receives payment.
The innovative search engine makes it simple to help plant trees in areas such as Madagascar, where native vegetation and habitats have suffered extreme deforestation due to the palm oil trade.
The best part yet? Ecosia prides itself on transparency and makes its financial reporting available to the public, so you can rest assured that the causes you support are just.
Ekoru
Ekoru is an innovative search engine alternative to Google which donates revenue to partners involved in Ocean Cleanup. Their servers are all powered by hydro-electricity, so every search is eco-friendly too.
Every search helps clean our oceans. Your searches raise revenue for Ekoru partners to remove garbage from the sea.
Each month, the innovative search engine raises money for a new environmental or social cause which is highlighted, allowing users to help the environment, animals, and people just by searching and surfing the internet
EveryClick
While they still turn a profit, EveryClick is a UK-based innovative search engine where 50 percent of advertising proceeds go to charity. The benefit of signing up for an EveryClick account is being able to choose which charity will receive the proceeds from your clicks!
The amount of money your favorite charity receives is based upon how many clicks you make with your search.
EveryClick also allows you to raise additional funds for charity by sharing your links on social media or donating to them directly through their secure site. You can also set up your own charitable fundraiser for a reasonable fee.
Searching the internet is something most of us do on a weekly — if not daily — basis. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to support a great cause or two just by doing what you already do?
A quick and easy way to make a difference in the world is as simple as switching search engines. Happy browsing!
Elliot for Water
Elliot for Water is the first social good search engine that empowers its users to help people in need of clean water by allocating its ad revenue to impact projects. One fifth of the global population has no access to clean water, leading to death of six thousand people per day due to water-related diseases.
Elliot For Water’s mission is to help bring drinkable water to as many people as possible and to improve the quality of life, while respecting the needs of the local culture and environment.
This is achieved by allowing its users to help people in need around the world simply by surfing the web.
Elliot For Water donates 60% of its profits to buy Solwa Technologies, solar energy based products that purify dirty or polluted water through desalination, the irrigation of arid grounds, and the dehydration of food.
Rapusia
Rapusia works like any other search engine, but there is one big difference: they use profits to help social and environment projects. Rapusia is also an anonymous search engine that doesn’t track you.
They do not collect and share information from your web queries with advertisers.
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