Making Your Clicks Count;
How to be Charitable Without Giving a Penny

by Darren I. Urada

Can One Student's Labor of Love Make a Difference for Small Nonprofit Organizations?

Torrance, Calif. -- April 24, 2000 /Xpress Press/ -- Darren Urada is a penny-pinching philanthropist. His website, 4GoodnessSake.org, raises revenue through ad banner click-throughs then gives it all away to worthy organizations of the site visitor's choosing. Urada doesn't take a penny out of the donations for administration expenses. "I have an annoyingly overactive conscience," says Urada who is currently a graduate student at the University of Southern California. "I would have a hard time living with myself if I took a percentage out of the donations to charities to pay for the site's expenses, so instead, 4GoodnessSake.org's financing is left entirely up to visitors." Since its debut in late January, 4GoodnessSake.org has sent $210.56 to charities. "It's not a lot of money," acknowledges Urada, "but it is growing quickly. I've spent much of my time until now contacting charities and it is not as easy as it sounds. It's hard to believe, but some of the largest charities actually choose to turn down donations rather than have their name associated with a small web site. One organization wanted a guarantee of $250,000 in donations before their name could be used in any capacity." The organizations listed at 4GoodnessSake.org represent a wide range of causes that include animal protection, cancer research, the environment, and homelessness. A Humane Society shelter for abused animals is currently the most popular in terms of clicks accrued.