Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer.
When I travel and am looking for a place to eat, I usually take out my iPhone and open Yelp. The app tells me my options, gives me reviews and directs me to the restaurant that fits my needs. I’ve found some great places through Yelp that I would have never found otherwise.
I guess that’s why an article on GOOD caught my eye the other day. It talked about a free mobile app that’s like Yelp for socially-conscious people. Social Impact uses the GPS feature in your mobile devices to display retail social enterprises that are close to you.
The app was developed by Rolfe Larson Associates and includes close to 700 businesses.
Much like Yelp, you can search social enterprises in various categories, and the app will show you on a map where those businesses are located. Social Impact allows you to search restaurants, catering, coffee & tea, arts & crafts and more. You can even shop online if you don’t find any social impact near you. You can also suggest a social enterprise business to be included in the app.
I love this concept because I’ve become much more aware of the impact I can make in my community and beyond by paying attention to what I buy and from whom I buy. It’s becoming easier and easier to make socially-minded purchase decisions and, frankly, we need to think more about what we are consuming.
My only complaint? There aren’t any social enterprises within 40 miles of my house. I might need to change this.
