Give and Go

While you’re trolling the internet over the next few months looking for holiday travel bargains, consider making a pitstop at the newly launched GoodShop.com. A traveler’s “win win,” this site actually lets you shop for travel deals while simultaneously doing some good – in this case, donating a portion of your purchase to worthy organizations. The best part: you get to designate where your donated funds go. Examples of charitable organizations you can select from a pull-down menu include the ASPCA, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. Travel-related vendors participating in the GoodShop endeavor include marquis names like Expedia, Hotels.com and Budget Rent-A-Car among others. The percentages of purchases that go to the charities are all over the map – from a low of .5% to a high of 37% – but are clearly marked next to each vendor, so you know what the cut will be before you buy. And while the totals aren’t going to rival the Gates Foundation any time soon (a search of funds raised for Doctors Without Borders this year yields a modest $338.72, while a substantial $15,000 was raised for the ASPCA), we figure every little bit counts.