New web site Philanthroper is a daily deal web site along the lines of Groupon, except instead of deals, they feature one non-profit every day, and instead of buying a cheap package, you can make a small, quick $1 donation.
Launched by friend-of-Lifehacker Mark Wilson, Philanthroper aims to solve a common problem with non-profit donations. The issue: Most non-profits ask for minimum donations of up to $10 or so, often because payment systems will take significant cut of your donation. (According to Mark, even the best in the business take 3-5%.) But for many of us, $10 or $20 is a larger donation that we've got budget for—or it's just more than we can bring ourselves to pry open our wallets for. To fix that, Philanthroper has teamed up with mPayy, a payment service that takes a comparatively tiny 1%, leaving most of the money for the non-profit you're trying to support. That's how Philanthoper can sustain the $1 micro-donation. You donate $1. mPayy takes a penny. Philanthroper takes nothing. The non-profit gets the rest.
Today's featured non-profit is Computer Aid International, an organization that refurbs used computers and sets up computer labs in developing countries. It's Philanthroper's first great cause, and after signing up with Philanthroper, it's one you can give a dollar to in one quick click. Philanthroper does require bank account information to take your donations, which, naturally, is a big deal. Hit up Philanthroper's FAQ for details on how Philanthroper handles security and more.
