Meg has a J.D. in Urban, Land Use and Environmental Law. She focuses on maintaining the balance of community and environmental health, healthy lifestyles, and encouraging sustainable living.

I am absolutely amazed at the different ways you can “give” to charities nowadays. Many people think the only way to be charitable is to donate money to a cause. While this is clearly an important piece of giving to charity, it is not the only way to help support your favorite cause or organization. My family has always been a giving family. My mother helps advise organizations, my uncle helps organizations create strategies, and my grandfather often writes a check to organizations he believes are in great need of financial support. I choose to donate my time. As a recent graduate, it’s certainly more affordable, but it also makes me feel like I’m an active part of supporting my favorite cause.

A few years ago, my husband and I adopted a “retired” greyhound. Our Lily has become such a joy, and she inspired us to volunteer with the local greyhound rescue group in Kansas City, called “REGAP” (Retired Greyhounds As Pets). After volunteering for a few Meet & Greets on the weekends, we then started fostering. Finally, with our 4th foster, we “foster failed,” which means we couldn’t let the little spaz go. Now Cousteau has been with our family for almost a year.

So this all brings me to the point of my title today, “Searching for a Cause.” KC REGAP found this great website where you can do web searches (sort of like Google), shop online, and locate restaurants. Meanwhile, every time you search or shop, you earn money for your designated cause! For example, if I want to search “restaurants in Petaluma,” I simply type it into the search box, click search, and I immediately earn a penny for REGAP just for clicking the search button! I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but imagine how many times you do a web search in a day. Well, if you search 20 times a day, then you can earn $.20 every day for your cause. The shopping section also links you to stores who will donate a certain percent of your total purchase. Such stores include Apple, Amazon, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, and many more. Plus, they have a whole bunch of coupons. It’s really such a great idea for raising money! Here is a link to their site, so you can take a look at it and see if your favorite charity is signed up.

Happy searching!