Simple online actions brighten up society

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Technology has simplified the majority of our traditional tasks. We can easily accomplish things such as checking bank statements or connecting with friends across countries with just a tip of our fingers.

But to be even more beneficial to our communities and lives of others, a website called Goodsearch offers us an opportunity to make a difference through causes we care about every time we search.

Goodsearch.com is powered by Yahoo’s search engine. The site helps you find exactly what you’re looking within the blink an eye.
However, Goodsearch is not a traditional search engine. A cent will be donated to the user’s designated charities or organizations every time they hit the search button. 

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals  (ASPCA) is one of organizations on Goodsearch that has been very successful. The organization has more than 27,000 supporters; as of now these supporters have raised $53,686.84.

Many clubs and organizations such as Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity at SUNY Oswego have never heard of this website. The fraternity still uses traditional ways like setting up tables and asking for donations to raise money. Matthew Jaronzzyk, a brother in the fraternity, arrived at the SUNY Oswego campus center early in the morning to hand out fliers with his fraternity brothers.

He hopes to raise money for American troops by asking students to dine at the Oswego Friendly’s on April 9th because the restaurant would kindly donate 20 percent of the check to American troops. Matthew thinks that online fundraising like Goodsearch would be an interesting option to increase the fraternity’s revenue. “It sounds great. If we can associate that with this, that would be awesome,” Jaronzzyk said.

But it’s not all for charity. An expert in technology and culture at SUNY Oswego, professor Gary Ritzenthaler, says not all of the money from Goodsearch goes to the charities, but considers it as an admirable attempt.

“They take a certain percentage of that and then give some of it to Yahoo. So yeah, you would hope that they would give as much money as possible to charities, but giving what they do, 50 percent is not bad,” Ritzenthaler said.

Since 2006, Goodsearch has supported more than 100,000 non-profit organizations and schools.