Nothing is better than the feeling of giving back: the satisfaction of knowing you made a tangible difference in the world for someone who needs it more than you.

Giving back has taken many different forms over the years, mostly in the form of giving food, clothing, and other aid to the homeless. When you think of charity work and club community service, that’s what you think of.

But we can do better.

With the help of the Internet we are finally able to make a cause go viral. Crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, Snap-Raise, and Fundly are designed to allow anyone to donate to any cause. This allows for an unprecedented way to share a cause, raise awareness, and reach goals in a way that can be fast and global. The only drawback to such sites is the small fee charged after the fundraiser ends, typically around three percent of the total, along with a fee of less than a dollar for each donation you receive.

The potential is there! With the help of email, text messaging, and social media shares, online fundraisers have been known to raise an excess of $30 thousand in the matter of a few short weeks.

Sure, crowdfunding isn’t the only way to go. There are non-profit organizations like Feed My Starving Children or traditional monetary donations like those sponsored by the Salvation Army. Don’t get me wrong: passing out food to the less fortunate  in person is not bad, but perhaps uninnovative. People simply cannot find time to volunteer like they used to, leaving soup kitchens scrambling for volunteers.

It’s just not the same anymore. Technology has proven itself to be the flexible and effective method of raising awareness and funds fast, fitting for the evolving world. The time commitment or inability to commit due to conflicting schedules is virtually eliminated, with one needing a mere minute to PayPal money to a donation page.

Donating online to a charity or nonprofit of your choice gives peace of mind in showing where your money goes and how it impacts your community or abroad. Being able to choose what pages host causes close to your heart make it personal and transparent. The future is here and giving back has never looked better than it does paired with technology.