We all like to get points—metaphorically speaking—for good deeds at home, like taking out the trash or doing the dishes even if it isn’t our turn. Well, how about getting real points for your good deeds, as in credit card rewards points?
This is the concept behind an unusual new program, the “Members Project,” from American Express. In this new project, the credit card company has teamed up with social action network TakePart.com to offer Amex cardholders rewards points for volunteer and community service work. American Express members can now earn 500 rewards points per hour spent volunteering, for up to 10,000 points (20 hours worth) per year.
Cardholders will receive rewards points for any of the opportunities listed on Volunteermatch.org, which lists community service opportunities from across the nation. Simply sign up, help out, and then log in your hours on the American Express-Takepart Members Project page. Cardholders can then redeem their points through American Express’s Membership Rewards mall, or they can donate them to the cause of their choice.
If you want to spread the love a little further, the Members Project website also allows site visitors to set up one-time or regular donations to favorite causes, by using either their newly earned Amex rewards points, or simply by making a donation with their credit card. The site also gives ideas for inspiring your friends to get involved as well; it lists a number of ways to share charity news and opportunities to give with friends.
People who don’t have an American Express rewards credit card need not despair: Non-Amex cardholders have the chance to participate at the Members Project site as well. Every three months, Amex selects five charities for a $200,000 donation from the credit card giant’s own pocket, and cardholders and non-cardholders alike can vote on who receives the funds. The eligible charities cover a wide range of categories, from Arts and Culture to Environment and Wildlife.
American Express caters to a predominantly upscale clientele, and where other credit card issuers have been struggling with record credit card defaults over the past years, American Express has enjoyed some of the lowest default rates in the industry. The company is one of the top performers in the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the past year.
TakePart, American Express’s partner in the project, was created by Participant Media, a socially conscious production company, which is also behind such films as Food Inc., and former Vice President Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth. Together, American Express and TakePart hope to inspire more social awareness and greater community contributions among America’s consumers.
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