Microvolunteer your pub quiz knowledge, & raise funds for charity

How many times have you used a bit of surplus time to scour a message board or two to impart your wisdom (read: wax lyrical about your knowledge of south London boozers), contribute to a review site, or answer a query from a Twitter pal?

Well now you can feel all clever, and do some charitable social action at the same time, courtesy of new platform Cofacio - the help engine - http://cofacio.com/ (Full disclosure: my charity, Whizz-Kidz has recently signed up to be a charity partner.)

It works by users accruing ‘points’ every time you answer a question, ask a question of the community, and / or are thanked for helping someone else. Points are converted into your own little ‘fund’ or bank – and you decide which of the signed-up charities gets the benefits of your community engagement.

The (actual) money that the (virtual) points buy comes from corporate partners – looking for both an innovative way of giving a donation, and providing an altruistic ‘incentive’ for everyday people helping each other out. And I think it’s rather neat.The good news is you can sign-up using your Twitter or Facebook account, so there doesn’t have to be another password and username to remember – and away you go.

Current charity partners signed up (at no cost to them) are Carousel, Action Against Hunger, and Conflict & Change. Whizz-Kidz is soon to be another. Current business partners are Legal & General, VeriQual and Media140.

Cofacio‘s Help Engine is yet another innovative way of harnessing microvolunteering and small actions (slactions if you will, if we’re looking at this as a form of ‘slactivism‘) to raise both profile and funds for charities. Get in touch with the team if you’re interested in being a charity or business partner. Advert over. ;)