We would like to make the world a better place, what to do?

Personally, I'm serious about having my business improve the world. I think we already do, with our hundreds of questions and nearly thousand answers per day.

However, I'd like to do more. Should FunAdvice hug trees? Go carbon neutral? Donate money to end world hunger? Create a jobs for the poor program? Start allocating a preset amount of our net earnings to various peer to peer loan programs? Start a wholly owned subsidiary focusing on non profit endevours with the goal of improving the quality of life the world over?

This is serious, and I'd really like help. Years ago, I did work at a non profit for three months, but the process saddened me, and I told myself, eventually, I'd find a better way. With input, perhaps we can help make the world an even better place than we do today. Thanks in advance for your ideas and suggestions.

There are two sides to this:

1) You can make the world a better place where you are through what you already do (so for me that's with the kids I teach, for you that's through this website, which is certainly helping people).

2) You can admit that you are limited and there are plenty of problems in the world which you can't directly affect through your work and location (so that's global warming, poverty, animal welfare etc).

I try to sort my life into 1) things I can help with my own actions - the local issues;
and 2) things I can only help by giving money or time - the global issues.

Now, for the global issues, which is more important, our money or our awareness?
I volunteered for the Jubilee Debt Campaign, which has made a big impact in the UK and the US in getting rich governments to recognise the evil of continuing the odious debt repayments which forced poorer countries into paying more to the rich than on their own health care and education programmes. The problem isn't solved but a lot of progress is being made.

Sometimes people used to say 'why not raise money to pay off these debts, instead of all the petitions, letter-writing and phonecalls to senators/MPs?' But the answer is that I could raise a bit of money each year - maybe $2000 through sponsored events etc, I'm not sure. But by giving my time, instead of my money, I encouraged hundreds of people to alert their governements to the problem. The governments then went on to cancel $billions, which means, surely, that awareness-raising is far more effective than money-raising.

So, I still give money to charities, buy Alternative Christmas gifts from World Vision etc. The suggestions made by 'editor' above are good. But could you, perhaps, also link the website to something like The One Campaign, which campaigns on poverty and AIDS, and helps ordinary Americans to get in touch with their political representatives to show how they really care about the poorest people in the world?

"Start a wholly owned subsidiary focusing on non profit endevours with the goal of improving the quality of life the world over?"

Yes please! I need a full-time job and have a nonprofit management degree...sound tempting?

No but seriously. I'm super passionate about animal welfare and rights...maybe we can pick a charitable organization (ie. the Humane Society of the United States) and donate a portion of Adsense revenue to it or something? Also, there's a site someone sent me the other day, to order bednets for people in Africa, to protect them from mosquitos. They are only $10 each. Maybe we could somehow get money for something like that?

go w/ the whole "going green" thing is a possibility. I think anything supporting the troops is awesome. don't focus on starving kids in africa. we have those in my city here in america. also the whole "pay it forward" theory would work if every1 did it. just a fwe ideas

you could donate to save wildlife around the world

Is anyone happier that you passed their way
Does any one remember that you spoke to them today
The day is almost over and the tolling time is though , is there anyone, to say a kindly word of you .

Share your smile with someone you pass

I feel like it would be helpful if when someone joins , the ones who have been here a while ' Welcome them aboard to the community ' I noticed that doesn't really happen

pattijo, that's a good point & something we don't do...

If we add the number of questions they've asked next to their question, we'll know on site that they are new, and can welcome them accordingly.

I'll add something like that as a bug for our programmers to do.