HelpAttack!: Pocket-Changing the World

If you’re one of those people who always has good intentions when it comes to charitable giving but are perhaps rather forgetful then as long as you use Twitter or Facebook you could overcome that problem.

HelpAttack provides a service that lets you spread your giving by drip-feeding small pledge amounts over a period with every tweet or Facebook update you make. As the demo video alludes to, if you’re looking for a warm feeling every time you’re active on either of those social networks then sign up for an account!

We’re not talking dollars a tweet here merely cents but of course those cents add up over a period, typically 30 days in this case. Once you’ve chosen your good cause you can then set the value you’re comfortable with for each tweet or Facebook update. The system will produce a projected total for the period based on your usage and so you can alter the pledge and set a limit. This is particularly helpful if you think you might be unusually active during a particular month.

You’re not actually paying any money every time you’re online and so no personal details are kept within the site’s records. When the pledge period reaches the end you simply click the relevant button and pay by credit or debit card and the transactions are handled by donation partners such as Just Giving.

It’s a simple way of giving regular small amounts that will add up. By using the popular social networks too it has the ability to spread the news of your good deeds far and wide which will hopefully nudge others to follow in your footsteps.

What is not clear though is what happens if you fail to pay at the end of a pledge period. The nagging thought that your meanness might also be broadcast across your friends and fellow twitterers should, one hopes, stop that ever happening!

Conclusion
This is a neat little way of getting people involved in giving to good causes and the very fact that it involves just cents opens the door to a good cross-section of people out there.