Change the World, $5 at a Time

If you've got a talent or skill, you can make a positive difference in the world. Founded by a group of young entrepreneurs, Toronto-based Raise5 is an online marketplace that makes it easy for anybody to raise money for a good cause. All products and services on the site, which are offered by its users, are priced at a flat rate of $5. Raise5 takes $1 from each transaction to cover its operating costs, and the remaining $4 goes to the service donor's charity of choice.

If you're not able to offer a service or product at the moment but still would love to support a cause, you can browse the marketplace and make a purchase instead. You can learn basic Spanish or have yourself turned into a cartoon, among others, while helping non-profits such as charity: water, the Red Cross, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals. Not a bad deal for $5, right?