Smartphone Apps of the Month- November

Isn’t Thanksgiving great? No other national holiday gives you as much of an excuse to feast to your heart’s content. More importantly though it’s a special day to show gratitude. I’m thankful for having many kind friends, co-workers and family, but also for the variety of things to learn, see and enjoy in the world around me. And, the apps I’m reviewing this month are some you’ll be grateful for, too, because they bring people together in many beneficial ways.

Pinterest—for iPhone and Android

As a young sprout, long before personal computers, I loved pinning things up at home or at school for all to see. Like for Thanksgiving when I made those turkeys and pilgrims out of construction paper. I still love to show and tell today. In our largely digital world, a great app called Pinterest is the modern equivalent. Although this app’s been around for years, it’s really caught on with the masses lately.

Pinterest is great, especially heading into the holiday season. There are recipes, décor ideas, crafts and more, and users can create boards to track each. It makes holiday planning much easier by helping me discover and save any visual ideas I come across. I even use Pinterest for simple things like saving recipes. When you find something that interests you, it’s simple to save or share it. You just use the “Pin It” button!

Use Pinterest also for news articles to read or save, bookmarking holiday gifts or explore for new ways to save money. Hobbyists and outdoors enthusiasts love it since every interest from archery to ziplining can be found there. I love to pin all of my travel inspirations, too, like road trips and family outings. Being able to Pin It all from my cellphone is really convenient as well. Hmmm…maybe I’ll pin my Christmas wish list on Pinterest, too.

One Today—for iPhone and Android

What if there was an app that gave you one easy way to better the world today? Well actually there is, and it’s called One Today. Each day, it features a new charitable organization, and if the user likes its mission, they can give $1 through the app. It’s that simple! I think One Today is a fantastic way for me to learn about and give back to many worthy organizations.

Maybe you’re passionate about rescuing animals, eradicating illiteracy or making donations applied directly to cancer research. Your One Today donation directly helps others, such as the 40-year-old mother of five children in Kenya who used her loan to purchase seeds to plant and sell vegetables, then fully repaid it 14 months later. $5000 this month can help 1600 people around the world to fully fund loans to 120 farmers in need. Your dollar can grow hope, not just food!

It’s understandable that you might be thinking, “How do I know for sure these guys are who they say they are?” Rest assured, One Today only benefits U.S.-based nonprofits that are all validated by the IRS and Google. 100% of the donation goes to the nonprofit, and there are never any transaction fees. Since they’re also tax-deductible, you get a convenient, year-end tax receipt.

I enjoy being able to select from a long list of causes, or new projects to donate to. You could also call One Today ‘the generosity app.’ I must say, it’s truly inspirational to see other people’s good deeds in action. The app features real-world photos and short stories related to the specific cause. And, I like how they explain how my dollars actually make life better for someone else.

Oh, and these are the kinds of non-profits that only want your kindness, not your private information. I never get barraged by any contact from them after I donate my dollar. Instead, I feel great knowing that I’ve done another random act of kindness.

As they say, give a little, change a lot. With the One Today app I definitely can, and I hope you will too this Thanksgiving. Let’s all make caring contagious.