Sex Work Activists, Allies, and You are objecting to the donations by Google to groups that they’ve identified as harmful to sex workers around the world: International Justice Mission, Polaris Project, and Not for Sale. SWAAY objects not only to the amount of money being given by Google to these morality NGOs (because some of them are doing pretty good on their own) but also for how these groups harshly treat willful sex workers as victims of human trafficking.

For example, the International Justice Mission is a massive evangelical Christian group that has taken the charge to rescue slaves but SWAAY parses exactly what that mission means. For one, SWAAY argues that IJL doesn’t see any difference between willing sex workers and those people who are victims of trafficking. By projecting the image of “angelic saviors,” SWAAY says that “IJL uses its power and political connections to pressure governments to crack down on the whole sex industry as an ‘anti-trafficking’ measure.” The results are often horrible for those caught in the dragnet:

This steamroller approach blindly attacks everyone in a brothel or red light district … which leads to more violent raids from famously corrupt police forces in countries like Cambodia, the Philippines, and India. The people caught up in these raids frequently report being beaten and raped by the police who are supposedly “rescuing” them, and are detained against their will in privately-funded locked-door “rehabilitation centers” or in overcrowded, disgusting jails.

SWAAY isn’t trying to diminish the actual genuine good that IJL does in rescuing legitimate sex slaves, but the nature of these “aggressive sweeps” tends to create more abuse for those rescued.

Another fact that SWAAY points out is that the IJL isn’t exactly hurting for money: their 990 tax form from 2009 shows they brought in almost $23 million that year. That the IJL is so well funded already raises speculation over whether Google seriously vetted some of the NGOs benefiting from Gives Back and whether other organizations in need would have been better candidates for the donations. Not quite in the same league as the IJL, the Polaris Project, another group targeted by SWAAY, raised a little under $4 million in 2009. (Note: I accessed the tax forms for both organizations through GuideStar, database of information about nonprofits. You can view these tax forms through that website but you will need to register for a free account first.)

SWAAY makes similar charges against Polaris Project, who participated in the campaign against craigslist for allowing sex workers to safely advertise on the site. By removing these reliable outlets for safe commerce, SWAAY accuses Polaris Project of limiting the options sex workers have in maintaining their own safety:

The ability to advertise and do business online has been important to the safety of independent sex workers in the developed world. It allows us to screen potential clients for warning signs of danger (such as checking sex offender databases or local “bad date lists”), and it creates a digital paper trail.

Due to Google’s selection of these three NGOs as beneficiaries to the Gives Back program, SWAAY has organized protests at Google’s offices today in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chapel Hill. Additionally, they have issued a list of demands that they hope Google will accept that include Google’s immediate cessation to funding NGOs that crusade against sex workers’ rights and safety, a full disclosure of how much money Google has already donated to organizations like IJL and Polaris Project and – perhaps most important – an apology from Google in the form of similar donations to local non-profits.

A few supporters took to Twitter today and professed their outrage at Google’s actions:

I recommend readers visit SWAAY’s very thoughtful and persuasive statement about Google Gives Back on their website. Also, what do you think about Google donating to faith-based NGOs? How do you feel about organizations like IJL impacting sex workers? Add your piece in the comments below.

They plan to deliver 380 Xbox Kinect gaming systems to bases around the globe. Forty-two USO facilities will be getting the systems. These USO facilities provide soldiers services like phones, PCs, Wi-Fi, TVs and gaming stations. The 42 facilities that are receiving the 380 Kinect bundles support over 5 million troops and their families.

Of course, the system will be used for gaming – but Microsoft explains that the Kinect provides an opportunity for other worthwhile activities – like rehabilitation and diagnosis.

What’s more, U.S. soldiers are starting to see the benefits of the explosion of creativity we’ve seen since releasing the Kinect Software Development Kit. Four Wounded Warrior Facilities in Afghanistan will use Kinect in rehabilitative programs in forward bases where medical equipment is scarce. New Kinect applications will help medical staff determine when troops who have suffered from brain injuries, such as concussions, are able to go back into the field. The USO will work with the local groups to develop an analysis of the results from using Kinect as a tool for cognitive and memory reinforcement.

In Fort Campbell, KY, a brand new 8,500 sq. ft. USO center just opened with one particularly impressive feature: The giant UH-1 Huey helicopter sitting right in the middle of the space. They turned this old vehicle into a gaming center – equipped with three flat screens, Xbox 360s, and gaming chairs (pictured above).

The Kinects will arrive as part of their annual “Christmas Convoys,” which contain things like beanbag chairs, snacks, phone cards, and other essentials. The Kinect system’s practical use for military bases can be seen in some frames of the video below – mainly the hands free x-ray browsing and the rehabilitation games.

Just ask the Internet Archive.

Much like Wikipedia, the folks at Archive.org are also looking for funding, but they aren’t going about it with creepy images of editors that stare at you for the duration of your visit. Sure, there are prompts over at the Internet Archive asking people to donate, but the manner in which they go about asking isn’t anywhere near as intrusive as other sites. To put it another way, the way in which the Internet Archive is asking for donations has not become a Reddit meme where people poke fun at the monetary requests.

While I mention bandwidth in the article’s lede, it’s not the only reason for the donation requests, something the Internet Archive blog post reveals quite well:

In the last year, the number of people using the Internet Archive has increased to two million people every day, and our collections of free books, music, video, and web pages have also grown by twenty to twenty-five percent. This is great news, but we are doing it all on a shoestring budget.

This year we need your help.

The word “help” is linked and when clicked, visitors are taken to a donation page where you can contribute as much or as little as you can. Considering the role the Internet Archive provides, asking for a little funding is perfectly acceptable, especially for a site/service that offers this description as its primary goal:

We digitize books, collect video, music and the World Wide Web, and take contributions of digital media from anyone who would like their materials preserved.

We provide access to these vast collections to millions of people each day. All for free. {Emphaisis added]

So yeah, asking for donations to keep bringing such content to the masses is understandable, especially when the service is free. With that in mind, perhaps Archive.org could look into official sponsorship, or, who knows, maybe sell themselves to Google or Microsoft. Considering their massive amount of content, there could be some great opportunities for targeted advertisements.

If you’d like to donate to the Internet Archive’s cause, you can do so here.

"We hope the new application will simplify the donation process and help charities reach more donors," says PayPal Mobile Senior Director Laura Chambers. "We know most people want to contribute to causes near and dear to their heart, but many times the ins and outs associated with donating can get in the way of peoples’ good nature. I think Bill Gates said it best recently: The barrier to giving is not too little caring, it’s that giving is too complex. Today, we are a step closer to solving that barrier."

"As adoption of smartphones increases, donating via the mobile is also becoming more popular," she adds. "According to a study by  Pew Research Center in July 2010, 11 percent of Americans have made a charitable donation via text. By adding donations to PayPal’s iPhone app, we’re hoping to increase that percentage even more. With great new features like searching for nearby charities and the ability to post your donation to Facebook, we think it’s going to be a great boon to both local and international charities."

Sharing donations on Facebook could certainly help for spreading the word, creating a viral effect for donations. That’s great for charities.

Among the charities the app supports are: the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, Save the Children, UNICEF, BBC Children in Need, Cancer Research UK, and Canadian Red Cross.

PayPal says it submitted the app to the Apple App Store today, and expects to see it become available in the next few days.

Messman considers Crowdgiver a way to "engage a new generation" with charitable giving, due to its social nature. With Crowdgiver, Messman hopes to play a significant role in changing a huge marketplace that has been predominantly direct mail-based. He noted that the shift has already begun (as seen on a large scale with the disaster in Haiti earlier this year). Charitable giving is becoming more social and more are giving through texting, social media, and credit card/mobile transactions. You have to wonder how much of a role direct mail will continue to play in this space in a few more years, when compared to the convenience of these other methods. "I guarantee my nine year old boy is not going to be writing a check," says Messman.

Businesses who get involved with Crowdgiver get their own branded page on the Giveo domain where customers can engage with the charity options, vote, etc. The following screenshot will give you an idea of what it looks like. It would be customized, but you can see how Giveo’s platform is used. Businesses would have access to a dashboard with analytical information that general users will not see here.

Giveo will also help businesses do targeted marketing for their Crowdgive initiatives with email lists, widgets for blogs and Facebook, etc.

While Giveo is certainly happy to get larger brands involved, Crowdgive is aimed more at small and medium-sized businesses, who don’t necessarily have the resources for these large charity campaigns that the big corporations do.

Messman notes a trend in cause marketing. Customers are often more enthusiastic about brands when they support a cause that they are interested in. Crowdgive has the potential to be quite effective for this reason, as it allows the customers themselves to get involved. This can help target the companies donations based on specific demographics and locations, which in turn could increase customer participation.

"Relevance really drives engagement. Personalization drives engagement," says Messman.

The basic philosophy behind this product seems to be: if you’re going to donate your money to a cause in a way that markets your business, why not donate it to the cause most relevant to your customer base?

That could be quite powerful for customer loyalty.

"We’re currently accepting donations from AdSense publishers with an unpaid account balance through January 31, 2010," says Google’s Elizabeth Ferdon. "To see what your unpaid account balance is, please visit the ‘Payment History’ page within your account. Your January earnings will post in the next few days, so feel free to refer to your ‘Advanced Reports’ page for an earnings estimate until those are finalized."

Publishers can donate either a portion or all of their unpaid balances as of the end of January. "As you may expect, there are certain restrictions to donating, and all our normal policies still apply — so even if you’re donating, please don’t ask others to click on your ads in order to increase your earnings," says Ferdon.

Google will not process donation requests from publishers whose request to donate more than their unpaid balance through January 31, or if they are subject to tax-withholding, their account has been disabled for invalid activity or other violations of terms and conditions, or if their accounts display the messages: "please submit your tax information", "please enter your PIN", or "please verify your phone number".

Partners in Health is the organization that will receive the donations. They will go to proivde medical aid.

Related Articles:

> Google Launches Relief Site To Help Haiti

> Twitter Helping Haiti Earthquake Victims

> BusinessWire Offers Free Haiti-Related Press Release Distribution

- American Red Cross
- UNICEF, Greenpeace
- Nature Conservancy
- Feeding America
- Heifer International
- Autism Society of America
- International Federation for Animal Welfare
- Children’s Miracle Network
- United Way of King County

"As the holiday season approaches, we’re pleased to be able to provide Amazon customers a convenient way to support a range of nonprofit organizations," said Mark Stabingas, General Manager of Amazon Payments. "With Amazon Payments, nonprofit organizations now have a simple and cost efficient way to process online donations while leveraging the fraud detection and risk management controls that Amazon Payments provides as part of the service."

Amazon customers can make donations quickly and securely using the information from their Amazon accounts. From now until January 10, they can go to amazon.com/holidaygiving to learn more about the process.

"With a significant percentage of consumers making purchases online, it is a priority for Children’s Miracle Network to incorporate online giving into our fundraising efforts. Children’s Miracle Network has raised $3.8 billion for children’s hospitals over the past 26 years by making the donation process as simple and straight-forward as possible," said Brian Hazelgren, Chief Development Officer for Children’s Miracle Network. "Working with Amazon Payments allows us to build upon our successful ‘low-dollar, high-volume’ fundraising efforts in a time- and cost-efficient campaign."

Amazon offers nonprofits a selection of what it says are easy-to-integrate and reliable solutions that enable one-time and/or recurring donations. There are also options for selling goods specifically for fundraising.

They’re clearly taking it seriously because there is a link to them right from the front page of the search engine, and usually there is not a whole lot of change going on there aside from the occasional doodle.

In all, there are 25 different themes for causes. A post from the Official Google Blog says:

Our partners in iGoogle Themes for Causes span a variety of areas including the environment, international development, education, health, civil rights, and disaster relief. They include organizations like Heifer International, Oxfam America, Ashoka, Doctors without Borders, Save the Children, charity:water, and Conservation International — just to name a few. We’re honored to help these organizations increase their reach by making their themes available to the millions of iGoogle users around the world who care about the great work they’re doing.

The intent of these themes is to raise awareness as well as donations. Each theme has a "Donate" link that appears in the upper right-hand corner to make your holiday donations easier. We also encourage you to share your favorite Theme for a Cause with your family and friends.

I’m a little surprised to see that they’re not calling for feedback suggesting more causes, but just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean they’re not open to others. I’m sure that if there is a cause that you feel passionate about, but is not included, you could comment on their blog post, and it would at least be seen, and who knows, maybe accepted.

While individuals still want to support their favorite cause, they may not have the time or the money to do so. There is a solution. More than 70,000 nonprofits have partnered with a new Yahoo-powered search engine called GoodSearch.com, and online shopping mall GoodShop.com to enable their supporters to generate donations just by doing something they do everyday – search the Internet or shop online. What makes the system so compelling is that it doesn’t cost the users a thing. It’s a form of philanthropy that works for everyone in this tough economy!

Consumers are helping their favorite causes by shopping at GoodShop.com where they can choose from more than 800 well known retailers including Target, Apple, Macy’s, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Petco and others. The shopping experience and the prices are exactly the same as going to the retailer directly, but by going through GoodShop, up to 37% of the purchase price is donated to the user’s favorite cause. In addition, GoodShop provides the user with coupons and deals for the stores so not only are they helping a cause, but they’re saving money while doing so!

Similarly, with the GoodSearch search engine, approximately one penny is donated to the users’ favorite charity with every search. You use it exactly as you would any other search engine (it’s powered by Yahoo so you get quality search results) and the pennies add up quickly – just 500 people searching four times a day will earn around $7300 in a year! It doesn’t cost the users a thing!

GoodSearch and GoodShop have quickly spread via word-of-mouth, the blogger community, and a number of celebrities and their foundations including Jessica Biel, Montel Williams, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Jeff Bridges, and others. This is helping to generate significant funds for the participating nonprofits. For example:

• Supporters of the ASPCA are shopping on GoodShop and searching on GoodSearch, to date raising more than $22,000 to help animals in need!
• The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has earned nearly $10,500!
• An order placed at Adobe Software earned Capri Elementary School in California $191!

Internet users have found GoodSearch and GoodShop to be a compelling idea. Lisa Codron, a teacher in Los Angeles, uses GoodSearch and GoodShop in support of Best Friends Animal Society, which runs the nation’s largest sanctuary for abused animals. “It’s amazing. I buy so much online and because of GoodShop I get dozens of discounts as well as the opportunity to support my favorite charity. There’s really no reason not to GoodShop!”

Comments

Though $22,250 may not sound like a lot of money, among Ron Paul donors it’s the top amount the candidate has received from one source.

However, Google’s place at the top of the OpenSecrets.org list of campaign donors requires a caveat, one that the site lists next to the table of donors:

The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization’s PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals’ immediate families.

Another technology company rated in the top five of Paul donors. After the US Army and the US Navy, Microsoft contributions added up to $12,863. Networking company Cisco had $8,900 listed too.

Though the technology community, dominated by California’s Silicon Valley, resides in a hotbed of Democratic voters and supporters, Paul’s message has resonated with a few people. A site called the PaulCash Tracker shows his ongoing donations, excerpted from the official candidate site, totaling over $18 million since October 1st.

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