Beyond “Slacktivism”

“Slacktivism (slactivism or slackervism, a portmanteau of slacker and activism) is a pejorative term for “feel-good” measures in support of an issue or social cause. Slacktivism is showing support for a cause with the main purpose of boosting the egos of participants in the movement.”—Wikipedia

Harsh, right?

Maybe “slacktivism” gets a bad rep. Of course it’s better to speak up about a cause you care about than to remain silent! But if you feel you could be doing more—we’ve got something for you to try. Download GiveTide.

We think slacktivism isn’t about ego, but about barriers. Typing and sending a tweet is easy. But what comes next? Researching and donating to a worthy organization. Talking to your friends and family. Showing up. Putting your money where your mouth is. These things are harder. But they don’t have to be.

If you’re someone who feels you should be doing more than tweeting, but you’re not exactly sure what “more” means—GiveTide is an iOS app that functions like a virtual change jar. Link your credit cards or accounts + automatically round up on purchases (you can set a cap on weekly round-ups). Your virtual change hits your GiveTide account, where you can then allocate it to the charities and nonprofit organizations of your choice, right in the app.

Your assignment: the next time you feel inspired/angry/fired up—start a Give Goal on GiveTide. By all means, tweet about it, get it out there on social media! Tag us! But also: begin putting a small amount of money where your heart is. Over time, small weekly donations of spare change make a massive difference. Especially when you invite your friends to join you. Your cause will thank you. We thank you.

Beyond Type 1 is proud to be a launch partner for GiveTide—an iOS app that makes giving back a part of everyday life. Click “GET STARTED” below. Read more here. Download the iOS app here.