“I’m just one person. In the grand scheme of things, how much of a difference can I really make?”

Common sentiment. I’m sure most of us have asked ourselves that question a time or two.

The fact is, we CAN make a difference; there are all kinds of ways to help and not all of them involve a huge financial or time commitment!

Have you heard about Charity Miles? You can download this great little app for your iPhone or Android device, and it’s FREE!

With Charity Miles, you can earn money for the Alzheimer’s Association when you take a walk, go for a run, or hop on your bicycle! Before you head out, just launch the app and choose the Alzheimer’s Association as your charity. As you walk/run/ride, you’ll earn 10 cents/mile for biking and 25 cents/mile for walking or running! It’s THAT easy! (See Terms of Service for complete details.)

Those of us in the midwest and east are currently mired in the latest arctic blast, while some folks are posting “selfies” as they sip margaritas on the beach!! But that’s okay!!

Whether you’re living in a climate that affords you the opportunity to enjoy those walks and rides year ’round or you’re like me and dreaming of spring – download Charity Miles and let’s earn some easy money for the Alzheimer’s Association!  (And tell all your friends, too!!)

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Addendum to original post:  Note that in order to complete the donation process, users must accept sponsorship and share via either Twitter or Facebook. Thanks to Lynda Everman for this important piece of information!

Excerpt from Charity Miles Terms of Service

Earning Sponsorships.  You can earn sponsorships for a different Charity (or the same Charity) each time that you use the Application.  To begin earning a sponsorship, simply swipe the Application’s home screen to select your desired Charity.  Once you have selected your Charity, please choose whether you want to walk, run or bike… And then press the “START” button to commence a session.  

Once you commence a session, the Application will track your distance and, subject to the amount of the Purse, you can earn 25¢ per mile for your chosen Charity while walking or running, and 10¢ per mile while biking.  The Application will convey your achievements both in terms of: (i) the miles you complete; and (ii) the real world impact that you can help your Charity fund.  Please note that our expressions of your real world impact are good faith approximations and may not be exact in each case.

When you finish a session, the Application will summarize your achievements and offer you a sponsorship for your Charity.  To accept the sponsorship, you will be asked to share your achievements, raise awareness for your Charity and (please) thank your Sponsor on Facebook and/or Twitter.  In each instance, we will present you with a proposed but editable message to share.  Subject to the User Content Rules (described below) you can say anything you want in these messages.  However, as we discuss below, we encourage you to thank your Sponsors.

Also, please note: if you do not accept the sponsorship, then your achievements will not accrue on behalf of your Charity.  We have instituted this policy for two reasons.  First, walking, running and biking for charity is not just about raising money—it is also about raising awareness.  Therefore, we want to encourage you to use Charity Miles to promote your Charities as much as possible.  

Second, while our Sponsors are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to support you, we are just as grateful for their support.  So, if you are grateful for your Sponsor’s support, then we encourage you to promote them too.  It’s not required.  But the point of Charity Miles is to turn amateur walkers, runners and bikers into sponsored athletes.  And just like professionally sponsored athletes, we should try to do right by our Sponsors.  Remember: the more we support our sponsors, the more they will support us.  And the more they support us, the bigger the Purse will be for the Charities!