Google's One Today brings app store scale to charitable donating

[techbeck]

For some time now, Google has been applying its expertise in computing to help nonprofits through its charitable arm, Google.org, and the latest incarnation of that initiative appears to be a new Android app called One Today. Once you install the app, which is available on the Play store but currently requires an invitation to use, you?ll be informed about a different nonprofit each day and given the option to donate a dollar through Google Wallet if you like what you see. It?s a powerful idea, applying the same concept of scale to charitable donations that has been so successful in the mobile app marketplace. It also one-ups Apple, which has faced criticism in the past by not allowing charitable organizations to accept payments through the App Store, although it did briefly break form in 2012 when it let people donate to Hurricane Sandy relief through the Red Cross.

Donations made through One Today are fully tax deductible in the US, with your Google Wallet confirmation email serving as your donation receipt. Google is also doing this free of charge ? it points out that nonprofits will get the entirety of your donation, minus the 1.9 percent credit card fee. You currently aren?t able to donate more than a dollar on your own, which some could see as a drawback, but you can encourage your friends to donate, and One Today will let you set up user matching so that your donation automatically scales up by a dollar (to a certain limit) for each dollar donated by your friends.

http://www.theverge....itable-donating