You have to admit, social networking sites are getting to be a bit, let’s just say, intrusive. I mean, who wants the boss lady to find a blog post where you are ranting about how much you hate their job? Do you want your brand new BF stumbling upon the pics your ex tagged you in, where he’s grabbing your boobs? And, to be quite honest, we don’t really care what you’re doing all day long, so spare us the update on your trip to the grocery store.

Social networking can be a powerful tool, but unfortunately, until now, the general public has mostly used this technology for the above-mentioned activities. But, thanks to sites like ActofGood.org, times are changing and people are now using this power to actually make a positive impact in people’s lives.

The first social networking site you can be proud of, ActofGood, seeks to connect people with worthy causes they can get behind. Founder, Michael Farah, knew that he could use digital media to change the way people think about and interact with philanthropic causes. “Starting with Chicago, we have the ability to change the way charities do business,” says Farah.

On its face, ActofGood works in much the same way as other networking sites (you can upload photos, include bio info, etc.), but it’s the addition of a whole host of other functionalities that makes it so unique. The biggest and best feature the site offers is an interactive calendar of local philanthropic events. You can search through the calendar date by date or only look for events being held by causes you support. If you find something that interests you, you can RSVP right there and not only will your calendar remind you of your upcoming event, but it will also let your friends know you’re attending, so you can rally the troops and generate awareness of the cause.

The site also allows you to sync up your homepage to your email accounts and personal calendars, so you’ll always be organized and in the know on the latest in charity and philanthropic happenings. You can find new connections through your already existing facebook contacts and even keep track of your receipts for tax write-offs!

PLRG would like to applaud Michael Farah and the entire team at ActofGood.org for creating a platform that makes connecting with causes and philanthropic work accessible to the everyday Chicagoan. Bravo!

If you’d like to keep up with the causes PLRG supports, become my friend on ActofGood.org. You can see what events I’ll be attending or send me a message to let me know what charities you think I should be supporting.- Lacey Brenly, Editor-in-Chief

(Lacey Brenly)