The presence of social media in our daily lives is now almost unavoidable. From popular sites like Facebook and YouTube to location based sites like Foursquare (did you know that an astronaut just checked in from outer space?), social media is making a significant impression in how we communicate, make purchasing decisions and much more. But perhaps the biggest impact this era has made is in social good. Following are just some examples of campaigns that have made a difference for the better.

Spreading the message of Malaria
According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 250 million Malaria cases and 1 million deaths per year. Ray Chambers, special envoy of the Secretary-General for Malaria, founded Malaria No More in 2006. Through this charity, Chambers raised money to purchase $10 insecticide-treated bed nets. In April 2009, he contacted Sarah Ross, head of digital at Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media. And together, they raised Malaria awareness through the race to 1 million Twitter followers between Kutcher and CNN who each donated $100,000 for bed nets. In addition, by urging others to use twitter to spread the word, they were able to reach 174 million people and counting, a feat that would not have been financially possible by means of traditional media.

Online project raises funds to build a home for children
To Mama with Love is a website setup to help Mama Lucy Kamptoni raise funds to build a home for Tanzanian children in her village. Users can visit the website and make a donation in their mothers’ honor by creating an art project that consists of a heart. It can be personalized to include text, photos and videos. So far $16,910 has been raised.

Red Cross text donations aid 2010 Haiti earthquake victims
In just the first 10 days following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross raised more than $30 million via text messages. With the simple act of texting the word “Haiti”, millions of people instantly donated each $10 to help in this worthy cause.

Though social good is still a fairly new concept, positive change is already being felt in communities around the country and around the world. With just a simple click, each and everyone of us has the potential to make change for the good. So what are you waiting for? Google the words social good; you’ll be surprised at all the ways you can help change the world.