Cryptocurrency might be all about profits, charts and the latest tokens, but did you know that you can use crypto as a force for good? Is correct; Charities around the world have woken up to the world of cryptocurrencies, with many of the world’s largest charities now accepting donations from Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins.
So, if you have a pile of crypto burning a hole in your cold store or just feeling benevolent to your fellow citizens, here is a list of seven charities that accept payments in cryptocurrency.
In 2019 UNICEF was the first UN organization to receive, hold and redistribute cryptocurrencies.
Since then, UNICEF CryptoFund has received eight Bitcoin and a whopping 2527 Ethereum, investing in startups in developing and emerging countries. For example, UNICEF CryptoFund invested 25 ETH in an emergency platform in Kenya, almost 20 ETH in an AI and blockchain-powered startup in Argentina, and almost 12 ETH in digital financial services for refugees in Rwanda.
The Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) is an international, non-profit, digital rights not-for-profit organization that promotes online privacy and civil liberties, provides funding for legal affairs, and organizes policies against technologies and laws that affect personal freedoms hurt both online and offline.
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The EFF has a long and well-known history of protecting and ensuring respect for rights and freedoms worldwide and it is likely that you have benefited indirectly from its work.
You can donate to the EFF using Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum, and depending on how much you donate, you can choose to receive EFF swag in return.
Deforestation is just one of the problems the planet is facing. Protecting our existing rainforests and other established forests is vital as the world faces increasing atmospheric turbulence in the face of climate change. At the time of writing, the Rainforest Foundation has raised more than half a million dollars worth of crypto donations, while the organization can protect more than 2.5 square miles of rainforest with a donation of 1 ETH.
To make donating a little easier, the Rainforest Foundation accepts crypto donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, and USD Coin.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is actually just a UK-based charity. Still, their work is incredibly important, protecting the UK coastline, citizens and seafarers and training thousands of volunteers nationally and internationally.
The RNLI has saved more than 140,000 people since it was founded and around a third of its work budget comes from donations. In 2014, the RNLI decided to accept bitcoin donations to keep the service going and has received over 20 BTC since then.
The Giving Block is one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency donation services, working with hundreds of nonprofits to help them accept crypto donations and accept donations for distribution. As such, it gives you many ways your crypto will help, so you can choose whether to donate crypto to one of their funds, specific cause areas (thinking, disasters, poverty, environment), or donate directly to a cause with theirs Search tool.
Another benefit of donating crypto through The Giving Block is the tremendous variety of crypto they accept. In total, there are more than 45 different cryptocurrency donation options, covering the big hitters like Bitcoin and Ethereum, to lesser known altcoins like MASK or GRT. In short, The Giving Block is a great option if you’re looking to donate crypto.
You probably know Tor from stories about the dark web, hackers, and other illegal activities. However, did you know that the Tor project and its Tor browser are critical to millions around the world? The Tor browser allows users to access the uncensored internet from places where censorship and civil restrictions are rampant, and provides a bastion of hope for those struggling to regain or find a sense of online privacy.
The Tor Project is a non-profit organization that helps provide online privacy education around the world while helping maintain the Tor network, the global network of Tor nodes that keep the network running and, most importantly, anonymous (not to mention the development of the Tor browser).
You can donate to the Tor project with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Augur, Dash, Litecoin, Monero, Stellar Lumen and ZCash.
One of the most famous and respected charities in the world, Save the Children, is also accepting cryptocurrency donations. In fact, Save the Children is working with The Giving Bag to make it accept the comprehensive list of cryptocurrencies you can see in the sections above, which makes it easy to donate a few extra crypto dollars to help protect children worldwide.
The work of Save the Children is almost a given. The charity works on behalf of children and other young people around the world, helping improve their living conditions, education, health care and more while protecting them from dangers such as child trafficking, exploitation, early marriage and more.
Donate crypto directly and anonymously to charities
We cannot and will not advise on cryptocurrency investments at MUO. This is not our business.
However, if you are considering making a cryptocurrency donation to any of the charities on this list (or another one that accepts cryptocurrencies), we encourage you to donate directly rather than liquidating your assets and then donating. It’s better for everyone involved and will help make your crypto donation help a little bit more. You might also consider donating a cryptocurrency stablecoin (if available) as the price of a stablecoin is less volatile than other cryptocurrencies.
In addition, donating cryptocurrency directly to a charity offers another added bonus: anonymity. You can make a near-anonymous donation using Bitcoin (Bitcoin is pseudo-anonymous, not completely obscured), and if the charity accepts a privacy-centric cryptocurrency like Monero, you are completely private.
Don’t miss #CryptoGivingTuesday
Every year The Giving Block runs a campaign to raise money with the hashtag #CryptoGivingTuesday. The idea is to pool as many cryptocurrency donations as possible and raise awareness of the good that cryptocurrency donations can do. In 2021, backers raised more than $ 2.1 million in crypto.
If you have some cryptocurrency left, made a bunch through stake rewards, or just feel generous, donating cryptocurrency is a great way to help you out. Remember, even if you think that it is “not enough”, donating makes a world of difference. It will still use it well!
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About the author
Gavin Phillips
(1007 published articles)
Gavin is the Junior Editor for Technology Explained, is a regular contributor to the Really Useful Podcast, and is a regular product reviewer. He has a degree in contemporary writing sacked from the Devon Hills and over a decade of professional writing experience. He enjoys a lot of tea, board games, and soccer.
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