Giving Compass' Take:

• Inspired is an LA-based company that created a system that works when consumers swipe their cards,  part of the transaction fees will be a donation, making charitable giving a part of everyone's daily routines. 

• In what other ways has technology advanced charitable giving? 

• Read about the relationship between technology and philanthropy. 

A whopping 123.5 billion credit and debit card transactions are made in the U.S. annually, according to the Federal Reserve. Stephen Ready figured that one cent from each and every one of those purchases could raise quite a lot of money.

Thus was born the idea for Inspired, his LA-based company: create a system through which, each time participating consumers swipe their card, the purchase is linked to an online platform that donates a portion of the transaction fees to a charity, at no extra cost to the shopper. The result: Giving to nonprofits becomes a part of everyday life.

Founded in 2014, Ready’s service just left its beta phase, during which he focused on music and arts educational projects through DonorsChoose, the company’s first charity partner. It links teachers in high-needs communities to donors. A variety of celebs, like Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Martin and Adam Devine, got involved, according to the company. Some 23,341 children were impacted and 241 projects were funded.

“Our primary focus is giving consumers an opportunity to participate in doing good consistently, every day,” says Ready.

How does it work? Consumers link a debit or credit card to the platform. Then, when they buy something, it triggers a small donation—sometimes one cent, other times more—that is automatically sent to a charity platform listed on the site. Through partnerships with payment processors, Inspired is paid each time a card swipe happens, then takes a cent from that transaction and donates it. Thus the company's tag line: "You live. We give."

Read the full article about making charitable giving a part of everyday life by Anne Field at Forbes.