Search the web.

How often do you use search engines to search the web? If you're like me, it could be dozens of times per day. What if each search could raise money for good causes? Now several new search pages now make that possible. Choose your favorite:

* Good Search - 50% of revenue donated to the charity of your choice. Powered by Yahoo.

* LiveSearch - For each search, "Microsoft will contribute to ninemillion.org, a UN agency-led campaign providing education and sports programs for the nine million refugee youth around the world."

* Everyclick.com - 50% of revenue donated to the charity of your choice. (UK based)

* Charity Cafe - 100% of profits go to Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and OxFam. Powered by Ask.com.

* ClicksCount - Donations to UK children's charities. Powered by MSN.

* Jikolp.com - 50% of revenue donated to charity. Powered by Google.

* Do Good Toolbar - Download the toolbar and each search results in a donation. Powered by Google.

--> If you work for a nonprofit, consider adding your organization to the list of charities for these sites. And spread the word among your supporters so they can search and fund your programs.

It's great when something you do everyday can make our world a better place. Thanks Brian, thanks Michele!

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose." - Frederick Douglass

Consider burial alternatives.

The cost of funerals is rapidly approaching $10,000, not as much as most weddings, but still pretty steep. The expense alone is enough reason to consider burial alternatives, but you may also be concerned for other reasons: land use, contamination of ground water by toxic embalming fluid, use of nonbiodegradable coffins and vaults, and the like. Thankfully there are many good alternatives for green burials that honor the deceased and comfort the bereaved. Here are a few of your choices:

* Natural burial "ensures the burial site remains as natural as possible in all respects.  Interment of the bodies is done in a bio-degradable casket, shroud, or a favorite blanket.   No embalming fluid, no concrete vaults." 

* Donation of the body for forensic research or medical training.

* Memorial reefs are an option for those who have been cremated. The cremains are used to create a "permanent living legacy that memorialize the passing of a loved one." Reefs are lowered into the sea to help restore the marine environment by creating artificial reefs and fish habitats.

* Cremation, a low-cost, widely-available alternative for those who are interested.

Many of us find it uncomfortable to think or talk about our own deaths, but having conversations about end-of-life care, organ donation, financial issues, and the like, can make things so much easier for your loved ones.

"One's death should mean something." - Edward Abbey

Play. Pump.

That's all folks will have to do to have clean water when you support PlayPumps. Did you know that

* Unsafe water and lack of sanitation is now the single largest cause of illness worldwide.
* More than one billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water.
* 40 billion hours are lost annually to hauling water, a chore primarily undertaken by women and girls.

PlayPumps is working to change all that. Theirs is an innovative and sustainable system that pumps water using the energy of children at play on an associated PlayPump merry-go-round. What a neat idea! This nonprofit organization installs pumps (and merry-go-rounds!) all over the world helping people have clean water.

Won't you support their work? It's so easy to make a long-lasting difference. Remember, we all need water.

"We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented
with ourselves." -Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (1821-1881)

Host a Souper Bowl party.

There are just 15 days left until the Super Bowl. Lots of folks watch it for the football. I like the commercials, and sometimes the halftime show. If you're having a Super Bowl party on February 4, why not make it a Souper Super Bowl?

"The Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led, grassroots movement of caring, the result of thousands of young people joining together to fight hunger and poverty in their communities. Since 1990, $33 million has been raised for charities across the country." Check out souperbowl.org to find out how to:

* Register your community, religious, school or other group to participate.

* Donate to support the operating expenses of the non-profit Souper Bowl.

* Participate in the Service Blitz, by volunteering in your community on the Saturday before the big game.

Remember, each organizer gets to choose the agency to which to donate the money. I like Heifer International (for sustainable development), Potluck Food Rescue (for waste reduction), and Plant a Row for the Hungry (for healthy food), among others.

Have fun at your Souper Bowl Party!

"We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves." - Eric Hoffer, philosopher and
author (1902-1983)

Choose a refurbished computer.

Unused computers can create a lot of waste, not only of plastics but also of toxic metals used in the circuitry. Still, for many of us, computers serve an important need so we want to be sure we have a good one. Refurbished computers, made from machines returned shortly after delivery, work as well as new ones at half the cost and with a reduction of waste and damage to the environment.

You can help reduce e-waste by purchasing a refurbished computer instead of a new one. Here are two resources to help you choose a good one:

* Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool is "a procurement tool to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes."

* Green Electronics Council has a mission to "inspire and support the effective design, manufacture, use and recovery of electronic products to contribute to a healthy, fair and prosperous world."

And remember, instead of throwing your outdated or nonfunctional computer in the trash, contact the manufacturer to see if they'll take it. Often the parts can be reused. Happy computing! (And happy 2007!)

"Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough." - George Washington Carver

Donate milk.

I've learned a lot about breastfeeding in the last few months. I know how good it is for my baby, so I was pleased to see that there are milk banks that provide milk for babies who cannot tolerate formula and whose moms cannot provide breast milk.

There are several milk banks in the US which will collect milk from donors across the country and ship it to recipients who need it. They are regulated by Human Milk Bank Association of North America. So if you have or can generate excess milk, consider donating it to improve the health or save the life of a baby.

Just this Christmas, my mother told me about how my great-aunt was a wet nurse for her niece. Since wet nurses aren't so readily available these days, consider donating milk to improve or save the life of a baby. Even if you don't have milk to give, you can still donate life.

"Resistance is the secret of joy." Alice Walker in Possessing the Secret of Joy

Change a light, change the world.

I've written before about EnergyStar products, but that post focused on appliances and larger purchases. But did you know that you can make a big reduction in energy usage (and your energy bill!) just by changing your lightbulbs?

EnergyStar's lightbulb campaign is rightfully called "Change a light, change the world." According to EnergyStar:

The energy used in the average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. When you use less energy at home, you reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and help protect our environment from the risks of global climate change. If every American home changed out just five high-use light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, each family would save about $60 every year in energy costs, and together we'd save about $6.5 billion each year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 8 million cars.

They even have a store locator to help you these energy efficient lightbulbs. These bulbs produce "bright, warm light but uses at least 2/3 less energy than standard lighting, generates 70 percent less heat, and lasts up to 10 times longer." How's that for efficient use of time and energy? If that sounds good to you, then stop by a home products store, so you can change your lights and change the world.

"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - ’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain

VOTE!

For most of us, today's answer to "So what can I do" is simple: Go to the polls and VOTE. Think what a difference it would make if all those who are eligible were registered and voted. Here's your chance to contribute to positive change. Don't miss out.

"Nothing is worse than active ignorance." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Follow through. (Blog Anniversary!)

During the week of October 6-12, "So what can I do" celebrates two years online! It's our blog anniversary! This blog is such a joy to write because the research and writing process is so uplifting. There are so many people who are consciously altering their behavior to make the world a better place! I like to think that this blog contributes to those efforts. In today's post, I ask you to tell me about how you've followed through on the suggestions presented here.

* Have you started donating blood?
* Do you now click everyday to make free donations?
* Have you written a letter for change?
* How was your socially-responsible wedding or celebration?
* Have you been recycling batteries or other items?
* Are you now using cloth napkins or cloth diapers?

Let us know what you are doing to make a difference. Leave a suggestion for the next year of this blog. Identify your favorite post and share it with a friend. Leave an update on how you've followed through on the ideas presented here.

So, at least for this post, instead of asking "So what can I do" ask yourself "So what have I done?" And leave a comment with your answer. Thanks for reading and leaving comments, and for the contributions you are making to make life better for all of us. And please spread the word. On to year three!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Maryanne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural address.

Get a free car seat inspection.

Just this weekend, my mother saw a woman riding with two children under the age of two who were not buckled in their child safety seats. She tried to talk to the woman about ways to ensure her children's safety, but unfortunately, the woman seemed unreceptive. She should have listened: car crashes are the number one killer of children and 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly.

Child safety seats save lives, but they must be correctly installed. Thankfully, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the National Safety Council have joined with others to form SeatCheck.org. They'll help you make sure your car seat is installed correctly. Here's how you can use this wonderful resource:

* Call 1-866-SEAT CHECK (1-866-732-8243) to get information on free child safety seat inspections. Information is available in Spanish and English.

* Visit SeatCheck.org to find a free child safety seat inspection site near you. The site is also available in Spanish.

Remember, this is important not only for parents of infants and small children, but also for anyone who transports a child in a motor vehicle. (Good call, Dawn!) Also, if the cost of a car seat is prohibitive, call your local department of motor vehicles. Your state may have a program that provides free or reduced price car seats to those who qualify.

So do something good for your child or the child you carry in your car. Get your child safety seat inspected, and keep children safe. Call or visit SeatCheck.org today!

"History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure." -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993)

Trick or treat for good.

It's hard to believe that it's almost Halloween. If you are preparing to trick-or-treat or to receive trick-or-treaters, consider these ways to trick-or-treat for good:

* Trick-or-treat for Sight Night and collect used glasses that will be recycled "for our international missions to developing countries" The Lions Club and Luxottica Retail, which sponsor the event, "will travel on 12 international missions, where they will work with Lions clubs to hand-deliver free eye exams and used glasses to more than 200,000 people in developing countries."
--> Call SightNight toll-free at 1-877-605-4242 for more information or to order your free collection kit.
--> Download collection materials here
--> Order your free collection kit here.

* Collect canned goods - Your child's organization can initiate a drive to trick-or-treat for nonperishable foods. Food can then be donated to a local food bank. Or collect clothes or coats for a local shelter. This is a great way to have a direct benefit on your or a neighboring community.

* Trick-or-treat for UNICEF and be a part of a 56-year tradition of helping children worldwide. Collect monetary donations that will save and improve lives. For example, "30¢ provides lifesaving antibiotics for a child suffering from pneumonia. $1 immunizes a child against the deadly disease measles. $10 provides enough high-protein biscuits to feed three hungry children for one month." Kits are available in the US, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Canada. Call UNICEF toll-free at 1.800.4UNICEF for more information or to order your free collection kit.

* Give fair trade chocolates to the trick-or-treater at your door. That way your gift will help cocoa farmers earn a living. Or scrap the candy all-together in favor or non-food items. Kids with diabetes and some other conditions will thank you.

These are just a few of the ways you and your child can make a difference this Halloween. And that's what every day and holiday should be about.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Google.

It's quite a feat when a proper noun becomes a verb. Google is using some of its might and money for good, and you can get involved. Consider these opportunities:

* Google Grants "is a unique in-kind advertising program. It harnesses the power of our flagship advertising product, Google AdWords, to non-profits seeking to inform and engage their constituents online. Google Grants has awarded AdWords advertising to hundreds of non-profit groups whose missions range from animal welfare to literacy, from supporting homeless children to promoting HIV education."

* Google Scholarships are available for students in the US, Europe and Australia. Specific funds target women, black and Hispanic students, and students outside the US who are studying computer science and other science, technology and engineering disciplines.

* "Acumen Fund: a non-profit venture fund that invests in market-based solutions to global poverty. The Fund supports entrepreneurial approaches to developing affordable goods and services for the 4 billion people in the world who live on less than $4 a day."

* "TechnoServe helps budding entrepreneurs turn good business ideas into thriving enterprises. With funding from the Google Foundation, they are launching a Business Plan Competition and an Entrepreneurship Development Program in Ghana."

Check out the websites and consider the ways you can act:

--> tell others who may be interested
--> donate time or money
--> apply for a scholarship, funding or service

Google is definitely more than a search engine, and you may be able to help them in their mission for good.

"A googol is precisely as far from infinity as is the number one." - Carl Sagan

Be a Hometown Helper.

Nonprofit organizations do such good work, but they often operate on a shoestring budget. Here's an opportunity to help out your favorite local non-profit group. I recently received the following email:

The folks over at Hamburger Helper are conducting a grant contest for local non-profit groups raising funds to positively impact their community in some way. I thought that, as a blog that deals with social change, you or someone that you know could benefit from the grant opportunity.  

Here’s how it works: Every month through May 2007, Hamburger Helper will donate up to $15,000 to eligible 501(c)(4) "hometown" organizations.  All a group has to do to win is to register online with www.myhometownhelper.com and complete an essay of two hundred and fifty words or less describing how they the need help.

All of the application information can be found at http://myhometownhelper.com/LearnMore.aspx.

This is an excellent opportunity for local nonprofits to get some of the financial help they may really need. If you are affiliated with such an organization apply today. If you know of an organization that could use some 'hometown help', forward this post to them. (Just click the white envelope below.) Thanks Melanie!

"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest." -- Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Make yourself useful.

Some of my favorite ways to give have nothing to do with how much money one has, little to do with how much time one can spare, aren't related to how much education one has. We all have a body and can use it to be of service, perhaps in ways we haven't considered. In addition to volunteering your time, contributing financially, and donating resources, consider these seven ways to make yourself useful:

* Donate blood. - Every two seconds someone needs blood. Donation of one pint takes about one hour, and 60% of people can donate every 56 days. Consider making regular blood donation a way of life.

* Donate platelets. - Platelets are required for blood clotting and are used in surgeries, transplants, and during cancer therapy. Donation takes about 2.5 hours and require an appointment. Most folks can donate every three days.

* Donate organs. - Every day, 16 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. Consider donating your organs after your death, and be sure to share your decision with your family members.

* Donate umbilical cord blood. - Pregnant women and their partners may want to donate their child's umbilical cord blood. It can be used in biomedical research or to cure sickle cell anemia, lymphoma, leukemia, and some other blood diseases.

* Donate marrow. - Bone marrow can be used in biomedical research or to cure sickle cell anemia, lymphoma, leukemia, and some other blood diseases. Consider joining the marrow registry. You'll only be called if someone in need matches your marrow. And you can always say no.

* Donate milk. Your excess breast milk can improve the health or save the life of a baby. Not all babies can thrive off formula, and not all mothers can provide the breast milk their baby needs. Your milk can help.

* Donate your body. -Donating your body to science is a great way to support medical and forensic training and research and make a truly lasting contribution. Make sure to share your wishes with your family.

* Donate hair. - Your long hair can be used to make hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children who have long-term hair loss for medical reasons. Go get the scissors. It's just hair; it'll grow back.

Click the links to get information on how to make these donations. These are some great ways to share your body with others, and save or improve a life while you're at it! And remember, if you are unable to donate in these ways, you can always donate money, time, or other resources, and spread the word to others who may want to help.

"Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Choose recycled products.

I've written a lot about the merits of recycling. But what happens to all those goods you've been so dutifully recycling? There are numerous companies that offer useful and creative products made from recycled goods. Here are some ideas and resources you may want to explore:

* Paper - Recycled paper products are widely available, not only for offices but also for invitations, stationary, and more. Remember to choose products with the highest percentage of post-consumer waste.

* Biodiesel - What a great way to reuse grease! Emory University will soon use biodiesel to fuel most of its shuttle fleet.

* Jewelry - Gold, jewels and other metals are turned into beautiful, wearable art by companies like greenKarat.

* Compost - Turn your kitchen waste into a rich source of nutrients for your garden, yard, and other plants.

* Trees - Let no fallen tree go to waste. CitiLogs to the rescue!

* Clothes - Shop at resale and consignment shops. Host a clothes swap. Visit garage sales. You'll be amazed at the high quality items you'll find, and the bargain prices you'll pay. Do it because you want to, even if you don't have to.

* Printer cartridges - When you recycle printer cartridges, they are bought by companies who refill them with ink and sell them for less than brand-new cartridges. What a way to save money and reduce waste!

Remember, reduce, reuse, recycle, restore, in that order. And choose the products that make recycling work.

"Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics." -- Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)