Sure, you can earn cash back on your credit card or rack up some frequent flier miles.

But do you actually use your miles—or do you find yourself redeeming them for magazines you don’t even read?

And while cash back is nice, it usually doesn’t make a huge difference to how much money you have in the bank.

On the other hand, your credit card rewards could make a big difference to your favorite charity.

√ Groups working to protect the planet are usually non-profits with very limited budgets that don’t begin to match how much they’re trying to get done.

√ Why not earmark your credit card rewards for sustainability-focused programs and initiatives that you’d like to support anyway?

Here are five ways — plus 1 — you can
use your credit card rewards to protect the planet.

1) Donate your cash back rewards to your favorite organization.
Some groups only charge an annual membership fee of $15. That might be the amount of cash back you earn in a month.

⇒Look at your credit card statements for the past 12 months to determine how much cash, on average, you’ve earned per month.

⇒ Set up an automatic bill pay relationship for that amount with your favorite environmental charity.

This is probably the most hassle-free way to donate —and it won’t cost you anything out of your normal budget.

2) Donate your miles.
Many environmental organizations conduct field research, travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with their members of Congress, or bring activists to their state capitals to huddle with legislators and participate in rallies and other events.

When you donate your miles, you’ll save these groups big bucks they might otherwise spend on plane, train and bus tickets.

3) Get a credit card that automatically benefits an environmental group.
⇒ For example, Sierra Club has partnered with One PacificCoast Bank, FSB, a community development bank, so that a percentage of every purchase made using the Club’s Visa Platinum credit card “furthers the Sierra Club’s mission to protect wild and scenic places for future generations.”

⇒ The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund have both partnered with BankAmericard in a similar arrangement.

4) Earmark your rewards for carbon offsets.
The Sustain:Green credit card, a MasterCard, encourages consumers to offset their carbon “footprint”—how much carbon dioxide their behavior generates—by using their card.

⇒ Sustain:Green reduces a user’s carbon footprint by 2 pounds for every dollar spent. Plus, the company will reduce a customer’s carbon footprint by an additional 5,000 pounds of carbon offsets when the first purchase is made within 90 days.

⇒ Sustain:Green has partnered with the non-profit American Carbon Registry and the Mata No Peito rainforest initiative to achieve its goals. Bonus: The actual card is biodegradable.

5) Redeem your points for a contribution to a charity.
⇒ Automate this if your card or bank allow you to.

⇒ Otherwise, put it on your calendar to do every quarter—if you wait until the end of the year, competition from holiday spending and other expenses might get in the way.

PLUS: Use a credit card set up specifically to donate to non-profits.
⇒ CREDO donates ten cents to nonprofit organizations with every CREDO Visa card purchase. The user earns triple points for grocery store purchases and charitable giving.

The donations can be earmarked for any of the 50 charities CREDO supports, including the League of Conservation Voters, 350.org, the Organic Consumers Association, Black Lives Matter Fund, and Stop the Next War Fund.

The post 5 Ways to Use Your Credit Card Rewards to Protect the Planet appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 The fun part is simple to define. I’m the “active adventurer with a cultural twist” type, so for me, a trip is really fun if it gives me a chance to hike, snorkel, scuba, mountain bike or otherwise get my adrenaline pumping, preferably in a place with gorgeous scenery that connects me to Mother Nature. But I also love exploring new cultures, enjoying the local art and restaurant scene, and meeting people who actually live where I’m just visiting.

WHAT MAKES A TRIP FUN FOR YOU?

Expense is always a factor, especially in this economy. Fortunately, there are more affordable options available than ever before. From couch surfing to camping to hostels and the budget hotels you can find through companies like Accor, our sponsors for this post, it should be possible to locate accommodations within your price range almost anywhere you want to go.

WHAT CONSTITUTES ECOTOURISM?

As for making a difference, the International Ecotourism Society has identified a set of principles to guide travelers in making decisions about their destinations. Those principles include:

* Minimize impact (look for accommodations and activities that minimize energy and water consumption, recycle waste, reuse products, and serve locally grown organic food when possible)

* Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect between visitors and hosts

* Provide direct financial benefits for local conservation and the benefit of local people  (for example, does a portion of a fee you pay get returned to the local community for education or to support a local tree planting project or water purification plant or organic farm?)

* Raise sensitivity about the host country’s political, environmental and social issues

The picture above was taken during my trip rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. We also visited Native American communities, and archeological sites where we learned about the ancient history of Arizona. We used reusable food containers and water bottles, purified water right out of the river to avoid plastic water bottles, and camped in tents or slept under the stars. When the trip was over, we stopped at stores owned by local entrepreneurs to buy snacks, drinks and souvenirs, helping support their local economy.

HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When it comes to making a difference, many eco-tourism trips today are specifically designed to help maintain trails, replant forests, or conduct research into the status of endangered species.

The EarthWatch Institute organizes expeditions ranging from archeological digs to protecting chimpanzees to exploring the Amazon. Their motto? “Travel the world while saving the planet.”

The venerable Sierra Club offers “Adventures with a Cause.” You can help restore critical bird habitat on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, improve hiking trails along California’s spectacular Big Sur Coast, control invasive plant species on Maine’s beautiful and remote Monhegan Island, or develop small organic food gardens at the Genesis Farm in New Jersey (yes, New Jersey!) There are many more options to choose from, all of which are reasonably priced, fun, and high impact.

Maple Leaf Adventures offers sailing cruises along the coast of British Columbia and up through Alaska’s Inside Passage, as well as around the Galapagos Islands. In addition to providing tourists a first-hand opportunity to explore and observe Nature, the company supports research organizations working to protect the coastlines they sail along. They also volunteer the time of their own staff to promote conservation, education and sound ecotourism in British Columbia.

You’ll find many more opportunities for eco-tourism by searching “ecotourism adventures” on the Internet. Before you choose an outfitter, compare what they offer to the principles identified above. Do their expeditions really make a difference? Ask for specific examples, both about how the outfitter gives back and about the contribution you’ll make by being part of the trip.

Note: The support of companies like Accor help us bring you expertise and insights at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions are our own. Thanks.

The post EcoTourism That is Fun, Affordable, and Makes a Difference appeared first on Big Green Purse.