Every day people spend time on the internet opening new tab after tab. Instead of just a blank page initiating, Alex Groth and Kevin Jennison found a way to make this previously useless page a tool for charities. Currently found as applications for both Firefox and Chrome, this idea automatically donates money to charity every time a new tab is opened. Each page generates fractions of cents, but that amount adds up considering how often people open new tabs throughout the day. Those blank pages everyone is used to seeing now direct to information about charities. A key component to the charities’ earning potential through this method have to do with advertising. Alongside the information that appears on the blank pages, ads appear as well.
Tab for a Cause is the name of the app created by Jennison and Groth, who are both employed at a startup in Silicon Valley. Anytime someone views the ads in the previously blank new tab, Tab for a Cause receives money to be sent to a charity of choice. Clicking on the ad is unnecessary, which makes the user experience even simpler.
The idea stemmed from a thought that small donations didn’t seem impactful enough. By banding many users together to create an atmosphere where very little is generated very often, suddenly small contributions make a large difference. Tab for a Cause launched in August of 2012 and had more than 3,000 users that raised $4,000 in just two months. Each tab brings in at least a tenth of a cent and users open on average ten tabs a day. One cent per day can certainly make a difference with consistent use.
The main areas of focus are charities for peace, the environment, human rights, education and more. When the app is first set up for an internet browser, one may decide if they want to support all charities or focus on one or a few. For those interested in learning about this charitable internet application, visit the article written by the LA Times here.