The Best Apps for Charitable Giving of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Oct 15, 2021
When it comes to charitable giving, we prefer Coin Up because it’s straightforward and easy to use. But depending on which charities you want to support and how much you want to donate, you may want to try one of the other nine apps on our list instead.
Top 10 Apps for Charitable Giving to Try
- Coin Up — Top Pick
- RoundUp App — Most Convenient
- Be My Eyes — Most Interactive
- Charity Miles — Best for Runners
- WoofTrax — Best for Animal Lovers
- Blood Donor — Best for Blood Donors
- Charity Monk — Best for Online Shoppers
- GiveTide — Best for One-Time Donations
- Freerice — Best Game-Based App
- ShareTheMeal — Best for Fighting Hunger
How We Chose the Best Apps for Charitable Giving
To put together our list, we looked for apps that make charitable giving easy with spare change donations and tax receipts. Once you’ve decided on how much time or money you want to donate, it’s time to choose the best charitable giving app for you.
Choose the charitable giving app that’s right for you
Some of us have more time to spare than money, while others are short on time and want an app that will take care of everything for us. We’ve included apps that donate your spare change, as well as apps that help you contribute in other ways, such as reading aloud for the visually-impaired or donating blood or plasma.
Find out where your money is going
Before you donate money to charity, it’s important to be sure that it’s going to the right place. Several of the apps on our list are run by well-known organizations like the Red Cross and the U.N. World Food Programme. Others allow you to choose from multiple charities, so think carefully about your values before choosing one.
Our Charitable Giving App Reviews
Coin Up — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Coin Up is our top pick for charitable giving apps because it makes it easy to donate your spare change to charity without having to think about it every time. You simply link your credit or debit card to your account, and when you make a purchase, Coin Up will automatically round it up to the nearest dollar amount and donate it to charity. You can choose from over 350 charities and can change your selection at any time. You can also set a monthly spending limit so you don’t go over budget. Everything is 100% tax deductible and you’ll get a receipt to show for it.
Notable features:
- $5 monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email, Phone, FAQs
| Coin Up Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Multiple charity options | Minimum monthly donation |
| Monthly spending limit | |
RoundUp App — Most Convenient
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
RoundUp App is a lot like Coin Up, but with a few extra features for added convenience. You can set both minimum and maximum donation amounts, make one-time donations (this is particularly useful for events or special giving days such as GivingTuesday), and pause your donations at any time. Although you can only choose one charity to donate to each month, you can also select a “Cause Fund,” which bundles similar charities together. RoundUp allows users to donate to any registered 501(c)(3) organization in good standing. They have active relationships with over 3,000 nonprofits that receive their donations electronically, and they will write grants to any nonprofits chosen that are not current clients. You’ll get a yearly tax receipt and a dashboard that shows your donation history. RoundUp uses Stripe to process payments, giving you confidence that your financial data is handled securely. And if you have an ecommerce store, you could use the RoundUp at Checkout app to give your customers the option of donating their spare change. RoundUp is also about to debut a new app that will allow donors to give to multiple organizations monthly, and it will provide monthly as well as yearly tax receipts.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: FAQs, Email, Chat, Zoom
| RoundUp App Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Secure payment processor | Only one charity per month |
| Pre-selected “Cause Funds” | |
Be My Eyes — Most Interactive
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Be My Eyes is the most interactive app on our list because it allows you to actually engage with the people that you’re helping – in this case, people with impaired vision. The app will connect you with a blind or visually-impaired person who needs help reading or identifying something, such as the expiration date on a packaged food item. They’ll point their camera at the text in question, and you’ll interpret it for them over the phone. Be My Eyes is available around the world and in over 180+ languages, so it’s easy to have an impact with this app!
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Be My Eyes Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Free to participate | No monetary donations |
| Over 150+ countries and 180+ languages | No tax receipt |
Charity Miles — Best for Runners
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Charity Miles is the best app for runners and athletes on our list since it allows you to support a charity while also giving you an incentive to work out and stay in shape. You can choose from over 50 charities, from the ASPCA to Habitat for Humanity, and sponsors will make a donation based on how many miles you run, walk, or cycle. You can set a fundraising goal as a group, create a corporate account for your employees to join, or participate as an individual. You don’t need to make a donation yourself, so it’s a great way to support a charity if you have a lot of time on your hands, but don’t have a lot of money to spare.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email, FAQs
| Charity Miles Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| No financial obligation | Not tax deductible |
| Employee program available | |
WoofTrax — Best for Animal Lovers
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
WoofTrax is the best charitable giving app for animal lovers, because it allows you to support an animal welfare charity while walking your dog. You can choose from animal shelters and rescue operations all over the country, with sponsors and advertisers making a donation based on how much you walk. You can participate in challenges to earn more donations and prizes, and watch the leaderboard to see how you stack up to other dog-walkers. Best of all, you don’t even have to have a dog yourself! If you love dogs, but can’t have one of your own, you can still take part and use WoofTrax to support your favorite charity.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email, FAQs
| WoofTrax Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Supports local animal shelters | No individual donations |
| Keeps track of walk history | No tax receipt |
Blood Donor — Best for Blood Donors
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to contribute to charity, and the Blood Donor app makes it easier than ever. You can start by learning about eligibility based on your health, tattoos, or recent travel history, then search for blood drives near you using the built-in map tool. Once you’ve scheduled an appointment, you can complete the RapidPass pre-screening questionnaire directly in the app to save time during your visit. Blood Donor is run by the American Red Cross, which accepts donations of platelets and plasma in addition to blood. You’ll be able to view your donation history and results from your health screenings, track which hospital your blood goes to, and learn about other ways to volunteer or contribute.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email, Phone
| Blood Donor Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Map-based search tool | No spare change donations |
| RapidPass feature | |
Charity Monk — Best for Online Shoppers
Download: Android | iOS
Charity Monk is the best app for online shoppers who don’t want to make a financial contribution themselves. Instead of rounding up your purchases to support your favorite charity, the app will make a donation for you behind the scenes. Charity Monk is partnered with hundreds of online stores, including Booking.com and Amazon. It isn’t as customizable as some of the other apps on our list, but allows you to support NGOs around the world, including charities in India. You can see a dashboard of the funds that you’ve raised, which will be sent to the charity of your choice within 60 to 90 business days.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Phone, Contact Form
| Charity Monk Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| No financial contribution required | Limited options available |
| Supports international NGOs | |
GiveTide — Best for One-Time Donations
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
GiveTide is similar to the other spare change apps on our list, but it offers a few more options, including Auto-Donate and one-time donation features. You can also participate in social giving challenges by setting a fundraising goal and asking your friends and family to contribute. This app is free, but charges a 2.79% processing fee for one-time donations. Your donations are tax deductible, and you can set a weekly limit and view your donation history at any time. If the charity you want to contribute to isn’t supported by GiveTide yet, you can request them to add it. Existing categories include the environment, arts and culture, and children.
Notable features:
- 2.79% processing fee
- Support available: Email, Chat, FAQs
| GiveTide Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Social giving options | 2.79% fee for some donations |
| One-time donations | |
Freerice — Best Game-Based App
Freerice is the best game-based app on our list because you can help provide food to people in need simply by answering questions and earning points. This app is run by the U.N. World Food Programme, so you can be sure it’s a legitimate charity that is actually making a difference in the world. The organization claims to have provided over 210 billion grains of rice through the app, or over 14 million per day. Freerice can even help you learn a new language by introducing you to Mandarin characters, English vocabulary, and more. Other categories include science, art, and history, with topics ranging from World Heritage Sites to chemical symbols.
Notable features:
- No monthly minimum donation
- Support available: Email
| Freerice Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Multiple-choice questions | No monetary donations |
| Learn English vocabulary | |
ShareTheMeal — Best for Fighting Hunger
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS
ShareTheMeal is the UN World Food Programme’s fundraising app. You can help fight world hunger by giving a meal to someone in need directly through the app for only $0.80. To track the impact of your donations, you can see where the meals are distributed to. When you set up a monthly donation, you even receive updates directly from the community you support. You can gift a donation on behalf of a friend, co-worker, or employee. Also, you’re able to link your account to social media and team up with friends to create “Challenges” and share achievements. The global ShareTheMeal community has already raised over 125 million meals.
Notable features:
- $0.80/meal
- Support available: Email, FAQs
| ShareTheMeal Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| View donations on a map | No spare change option |
| Built-in Challenges and Achievements | |
Charitable Giving Apps: Features Summary Table
| Charitable Giving Apps Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | Subscription Fees or In-App Purchases | Features |
| Coin Up — Top Pick | $5 monthly minimum | ✓ Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations ✓ Tax Receipts |
| RoundUp App — Most Convenient | Free | ✓ Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations ✓ Tax Receipts |
| Be My Eyes — Most Interactive | Free | X Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |
| Charity Miles — Best for Runners | Free | X Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |
| WoofTrax — Best for Animal Lovers | Free | X Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |
| Blood Donor — Best for Blood Donors | Free | X Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |
| Charity Monk — Best for Online Shoppers | Free | X Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations ✓ Tax Receipts |
| GiveTide — Best for One-Time Donations | 2.79% processing fee | ✓ Spare Change Donations X Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations ✓ Tax Receipts |
| Freerice — Best Game-Based App | Free | X Spare Change Donations ✓ Food Donations ✓ Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |
| ShareTheMeal — Best for Fighting Hunger | $0.80/meal | X Spare Change Donations ✓ Food Donations X Game/Challenge-Based Donations X Tax Receipts |