New app raises money for Israel while you shop

App by British charity Myisrael sees percentage of purchases going to NGOs in Israel.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
Myisrael 370 (photo credit: Courtesy )
Myisrael 370
(photo credit: Courtesy )
The British-based Myisrael charity, which provides Israel supporters with donation opportunities, recently launched a phone app to collect donations for Myisrael from many British retailers every time an online purchase is made.
The app, which is free for users, operates in partnership with about a thousand participating retailers including Boots, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, PC World and Amazon.
Every time users shop online, up to four percent of each purchase will be donated to MyIsrael by the retailer.
“This app means that online shopping is no longer just a matter of convenience for me,” says app user Joanne Silverman of London. “It has turned my online [shopping] into a genuinely worthwhile experience as I know that I’m enabling more money to reach projects and people that really need it in Israel.”
Veteran British oleh Darren Gladstone has also started using the shopping app from Israel. He explained that like many others who made aliyah from the UK, he still purchases products from Britain, and arranges for family or friends to bring them to Israel.
“It’s great to think that just by using a simple app, I can do something to help fellow Israelis at the same time as purchasing some creature comforts from back in the UK,” he said.
Myisrael, which was launched in 2008, aims at providing donors “the opportunity to give to numerous worthwhile but small-sized Israeli charities which would typically otherwise go unnoticed.”
“The Shopping app fits perfectly into Myisrael’s vision of changing the way that people give to Israel,” said founder Danielle Franks in a statement. “The connection to Israel is a deeply personal bond and so we support charities with which individuals can nurture a long-lasting meaningful relationship.”
In Israel, the charity supports a range of non-profits, including those for at-risk women and children, low-income families, people with disabilities and the elderly, as well as an organization offering free dental treatment to Jerusalem’s poorest children and an NGO providing emotional support to partners of fallen IDF soldiers.
Myisrael says it has raised over £1.5million through some 2,500 individual donors since its launch.