First, Get a Worthwhile Cause; Then Get Wired

On a much larger scale is the innovative Social Actions, brainchild of the microphilanthropy consultant Peter Deitz and one of the hottest online social-activism start-ups. Social Actions aggregates, well, social actions — "actionable opportunities" to give, volunteer, organize, or pledge through more than 40 online networks, including Kiva, DonorsChoose.org, Change.org, Care2, ChangingthePresent, Razoo, GlobalGiving, Idealist.org, The Point, VolunteerMatch, Zazengo, and others. You can search for ways to get involved — on efforts related to, say, "poverty" or "ecology" — and get a wide range of results to choose from.