Google launches charity app to funnel $1 at a time toward good causes

Google has officially launched One Today, an Android app that puts the spotlight on great charities and lets you give $1 at a time.

The whole premise helps to eliminate a few roadblocks that stand between your money and deserving nonprofits.

First, it takes away the decision of exactly how much to give. With very few exceptions, most Android users have a dollar and are more than happy to give it to causes they can support ideologically.

Second, it gets rid of “analysis paralysis” — the inability to choose a charity precisely because there are too many to choose from.

And third, it helps to take care of some of the research behind finding great causes in the first place.

Also, instead of giving to a nonprofit as a whole, you donate your dollar to fund a nonprofit’s specific project. Nonprofits can create projects in about 10 minutes, and the more people share the project, the closer it comes to being fully funded.

The app has been in a limited pilot test for a while, but this week marks its general availability to all Android users.

Here’s what it looks like:

“We’re amazed by the great work nonprofits do on a daily basis to make the world a better place, and we’re thrilled to provide a new platform which helps [nonprofits] to tell your story to users who care about the same important things that you do,” wrote Googler Maya Amoils yesterday on the company blog.

“We look forward to continuing to improve the One Today experience and to growing our dynamic community with incredible nonprofits.”