I have compiled here a short list of trustworthy charities and organisations that you can donate to as well as sites which allow you to sign petitions at the click of a button. This kind of so-called ‘slacktivism’ can be a real force for good on the internet and around the world. When one compares the minimum donations on many of these websites to the price of, say, a night in a hotel, the loss to one’s wallet seems rather insignificant. Whether you can afford to donate or just have some time to sign a few petitions, online slacktivism has provided funding for a huge number of admirable and important projects. I urge you to get involved in improving this planet for everyone.

Avaaz – The World in Action – This is a site which allows you to start a petition, or sign an existing one. At the time of writing, there are nearly forty-seven million members around the globe working to make the world a better place.

Change.org –  Similar to Avaaz but bigger, change.org is a petition sharing platform that has achieved 26,778 victories in 196 countries. Recently, a petition started with change.org in England resulted in the repealing of a misogynistic tax on tampons!

Concern Worldwide – This wonderful charity does heroic work for people living in severe poverty. Concern prioritise trying to make poverty-stricken communities self-sufficient by providing them with precious commodities like cows for dairy or a well that can provide drinking water for a whole village.

Go Petition – With petitions reaching over 100,000,000 people, this politically neutral website enables users from over 70 different countries to affect change in the areas that matter most to them.

Human Rights First – HRF is an American human rights organisation that has been doing amazing work for the last three decades. By following the link, you can donate or see about getting involved with one of their many campaigns.

The Marine Mammal Center – The MMC is a very respectable organisation that helps, among other things, to keep seal, otter and sea lion populations safe and healthy. They need your help.

Oxfam – Oxfam is another great charity that works to prevent disease, starvation and suffering. They are a reputable global organisation that fights poverty in all forms.

The Petition Site – Another platform for sharing and creating petitions online. These sites can and do effect real change without asking for money. A worthy use of the penniless slacktivist’s time.

Rainforest Trust – For 30 years, this astounding organisation has strategically bought and protected 18 million acres of rainforest in such a way as to maximise the benefit for endangered species and indigenous communities. People like this are our only hope of slowing down and eventually halting the human-caused mass extinction that is ravaging our planet’s biodiversity.

Society for Women’s Health Research – For nearly 30 years, this highly transparent non-profit research organisation has been dedicated to finding scientific solutions to women’s health issues and ensuring that women are included in research programs.

The Trevor Project – You may remember this admirable project from John Oliver’s response to Mike Pence’s book about his rabbit ‘Marlon Bundo’. The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention for at risk LGTBQ+ youths.

UNICEF – This charity needs no introduction. UNICEF have been helping children out of the worst situations imaginable for many years and are one of the most respected charity organisations in the world.

WDC – Whale and Dolphin Conservation – On this charity’s website, you can make a donation, adopt an orca or dolphin and help to put an end to whaling and bycatch. Humans have decimated whale populations around the globe. It is up to us to put this right and ensure that these magnificent creatures aren’t lost to the world forever.

4Ocean – This ingenious charity organisation has a very simple and effective gimmick. To donate, you buy a very stylish bracelet. For every bracelet bought, 4Ocean will remove one pound of plastic from the sea. Over 250 thousand pounds have been pulled.