The Easiest Way to Make a Difference This Holiday Season

Here’s how you can make gift-giving and ‘treat yo self’ days extra special.

This article is presented in partnership with The Difference.

It’s that time of year - Christmas decorations are up in every shopping centre, and Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey have officially defrosted and are ready to invade the sounds of every store’s playlist.

There’s no doubt you’ll be hitting up the shops these holidays and spending a bunch on gifts for your family and besties (and yourself, duh).

With the extra expenses this holiday szn, it might not seem possible to give back to a good cause this time of year.

What if we told you that while you’re shopping, you can share the love to some amazing charities without changing anything you’re doing right now?

The Difference is an app that rounds up your daily transactions and donates your spare change to a cause and charity of your choice.

Every cent counts, so here’s how you can make an impact during the busiest time of year!

OK, but what is The Difference?

The Difference is a non-profit organisation, registered with the ACNC (The Australian Charities and Non-for-profits Commission).

Their founder – Zara Torre – wanted to change the way Aussies could give back to those who need it.

Think about all of the times you've been asked for spare change to donate – when's the last time you actually had some cash on you?

When Zara couldn’t help someone because she didn’t have any coins on her, this sparked the idea that created The Difference.

They’re all about keeping things simple, ethical, and digital.

The Difference also support “high-impact, cost effective charities” to make sure your hard-earned cash is going to an organisation that puts the most of every dollar into their mission.

We love to see it.

How does it work?

It all happens with The Difference app – totally free to download and sign-up!

Once you’re on board, your online transactions are rounded up to the nearest whole dollar and designated to a charity of your choice.

A cheeky coffee run that costs $4.50? $0.50 virtual spare change gets collected in The Difference app.

Think about all those things you’ve purchased that end in $0.95 – that’s 5 cents easily put towards a good cause.

Once your round-ups reach $15, The Difference debit your nominated account and put your spare change towards a charity you’re passionate about.

BTW, it’s all fully tax deductible.

Easy peasy.

The app wants me to link my bank account – is it safe?!

The Difference app uses top-notch Aussie financial tech and is protected by SSL technology to ensure every transaction is secure. They're partnered with renowned gateways like Stripe and Basiq, and adhere to strict Australian data protection and compliance standards to give you peace of mind while you make a difference 💪

Who can I donate to?

The Difference has eight ethical partnered charities – charities that provide the greatest impact with donations raised.

These charities include:

• Youth Focus.
• Breast Cancer Care.
• Carbon Positive Australia.
• Every Daughter Matters.
• Children’s Ground.
• Good360 Australia.
• Water for Africa.

In addition to this, there are over 100 leading Australian charities who you can also donate to, so there’s heaps of options to pick from!

If you’re keen to make a difference this Christmas (and beyond!), make sure you download the app and get started.

The first 200 people to download the app and make a $5 donation will also score a sweet tee!

This article does not constitute personal financial advice. Before acting on any information in this article, you should consider your money goals and financial situation to ensure it’s appropriate to you.