We've all heard that it's better to give than to receive. But setting aside money for charity can seem difficult in lean times. If your heart's full, but your wallet not so much, don't despair. A web start-up called Couchange aims to make charitable giving easier by facilitating donations of "abandoned items"—like the coins that slip under couch cushions.
Under development by Jia Ji, '05, and his business partners, Couchange will aggregate small contributions of partially used gift cards, frequent flyer miles and even virtual currencies from online social networks into large, useful sums.
The idea for Couchange stems from Ji's high school days working at Goodwill. "People come in, they dump their stuff, they get a receipt," he says. When it launches in early 2010, the website will provide printable tax deduction receipts for donations. "Giving should be simple and—heaven forbid—enjoyable," says Ji. And with corporate and foundational giving down thanks to the recession, every little bit helps.
SCOTT BLAND, ’10, is an intern at Stanford.
