Charity Miles raises money while you run

Want to raise money for a good cause but aren’t as interested in that local 5K? There’s a way to do so without breaking your normal routine or running in large, organized road race events.

Charity Miles sends a small donation to a non-profit organization for every mile you run, walk or bike. The app tracks your activity and, when you’re finished, donates 25 cents for each mile you’ve covered on foot to the non-profit you want to support. The app is paired with 32 different charities you’re able to support, covering a range of issues. It also works on your bike, though you’ll only raise 10 cents per mile.

The app also takes an equal cut of the money to keep themselves in business.

But where does the money come from? Large companies with marketing and charity budgets sponsor the app. Those dollars are then used as the pool from which the donations are taken. If Timex – a major supporter – puts up $50,000, while that money is being slowly donated to charities, users of the app see a Timex-branded version of Charity Miles. Timex gets their exposure, the non-profits receive donations, the developers get paid and you feel good about the money you’re raising. Everyone’s happy. When the money runs out, the next sponsor gets their branding on the app.

So far the app has generated over $1 million worth of donations, but the company is hoping to grow rapidly in the next few years. All this from runners, walkers and cyclists who would have already been doing that exercise anyways.