When everyday commodity meets convenience meets good cause

When everyday commodity meets convenience, meets good cause, great things can happen.

The “everyday commodity - convenience - good cause” relation consists of three important parts which cannot be omitted.

What is the reason for not leaving anything out?

Example 1 - missing good cause

• Everyday commodity: 1,
• Convenience: 1,
• Good cause: 0

The first example is a solution which doesn’t support a good cause, and it’s a commodity and it’s convenient. To be honest, this category is huge and the most popular.

1. When you want something to eat, you call for UberEats.
2. When you want to socially interact with others, you open Facebook / Instagram.
3. When you want to entertain yourself, you start Netflix.

I don’t judge how effectively these solution work. We know from many resources that Facebook may not be a good solution, if you care for social relations. But this is for another story.

Example 2 - missing commodity

• Everyday commodity: 0,
• Convenience: 1,
• Good cause: 1

Let’s say I find a solution which supports a good cause, and it’s convenient to use, but it’s not a commodity. This means the group of people who could likely use it is small, since they use it occasionally.

Example 3 - missing convenience

• Everyday commodity: 1,
• Convenience: 0,
• Good cause: 1

Another example is a solution which supports a good cause and it’s a commodity, but not convenient to use. This means, people who would like to use it, would have to put in additional effort. It’s not sustainable.

The last example is when there’s a convenience missing. Let’s say, I want to regularly send some money to charity when I pay for something. I can remember to calculate and send it that every month or every day. But I won’t. It’s not convenient. I’ll definitely forget.

What can I do instead?

Instead of keeping my mind occupied with this noble yet mundane task, let’s make it convenient. What I can do is:

• to set up a recurring money transfer to the charity of my choice
• to find a bank which provides the service of daily savings in the form of piggy bank, where from each transaction, some percentage is deducted to the dedicated savings account; later on I can set up a recurring money transfer from that account
• to set up a cashback from my transaction on the internet with the charity purpose

I have tried all three with a success.

Examples

Here are two examples of ideas use the triangle.

1. Ecosia

Let’s take into consideration Ecosia. It’s a good example of that triangle approach. Ecosia adds convenience and good cause to commodity.

1.2 How does it work?

It’s simple. When you search in Ecosia, you see the ads. Ads providers pay Ecosia each time someone clicks on the ad.

1.3 Commodity

Searching the web is a commodity. We cannot easily function without instant access to reliable information.

1.4 Convenience

There’s no additional effort considering searching in Ecosia or searching in Google.

1. You search the same as you would in Google.
2. The quality of results in Google and Ecosia is almost the same.

The onetime efforts are

1. setting up Ecosia,
2. and adjusting to a slightly different design, (mostly the palette of colours).

1.5 Good cause

Ecosia turns its profit into planting trees. More trees means better absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2). Lower level of CO2 in the atmosphere means lower temperature on Earth.¹

1.6 Isn’t simple?

1. You do something you’d do anyway - commodity.
2. You do it the same way, you used to - convenience.
3. You do something good - planting trees in this example - good cause.

2. Tero

Tero works as an extension to your browser and supports the ideas that help save trees.

2.1 How does it work?

1. Each time you open a tab in your browser, it shows ads. When clicked, the revenue for that click goes from an ads provider to Tero.
2. Additionally, they work with affiliate networks and get commission each time they bring a buyer to the e-commerce shop. The share of the commission goes to the primary goal of Tero.

2.2 Commodity

It bases on the fact that most of us use a browser on a daily basis. The browser is our gateway to e-mail, social media, video, music, news, you name it.

2.3 Convenience

It doesn’t change the way you use the browser. You still open a tab, enter a URL or search a phrase, visit a website. It’s as easy as it was before.

2.4 Good cause

Tero claims they commit 80% of their profits to climat action.²

3. Fanimani

Fanimani works as an extension to your browser.

3.1 How does it work?

1. It’s similar to the model of Tero.
2. Fanimani works with affiliate networks and gets commission each time it brings a buyer to the e-commerce shop.
3. Each time you purchase something online, the purchase is registered as the one that comes from Fanimani
4. Fanimani gets the commission.
5. The share of that commission goes to the NGOs, you point.

3.2 Commodity

It bases on the online shopping, which is almost everyday activity.

3.3 Convenience

You don’t have to remember about Fanimani. They will remind you that in the shopping cart. With one click, you claim that the purchase comes from Fanimani, and the commission is shared.

3.4 Good cause

Tero claims that on average 2.5% of the value of your purchase goes to the NGO you choose.³

Questions to you

1. What’s your opinion?
2. Do you perchance know other examples?

Would love to hear your take, Olek

Written in Difree | Graphics thanks to #dalle

Footnotes

1. https://thecarbonalmanac.org/search/ ↩

2. https://blog.jointero.org/balancing-purpose-and-business/ ↩

3. https://fanimani.pl/jak-to-dziala/ ↩