Posted on December 1, 2023
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy supports equitable disaster recovery for all
Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This December, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will help CDP in its management of domestic and international funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals to ensure that disaster recovery is equitable for all affected people.
Read this important blog post about the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s critical work, then visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to CDP to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding December grantees.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has been at the forefront of mobilizing philanthropy to support equitable disaster recovery worldwide since 2010. Led by President and CEO Patty McIlreavy, CDP’s expertise and approach to disaster-related giving make us uniquely able to help donors support relief and long-term recovery in response to emergencies like the humanitarian crisis in Israel and Gaza, the Hawaii wildfires, the Horn of Africa hunger crisis and other disasters.
CDP helps donors give with confidence, knowing that their gifts support marginalized communities to rebuild and recover stronger while staying true to philanthropic and social-impact goals.
A unique approach
What sets CDP apart is our unique combination of three key factors:
- Focus on long-term recovery. Disaster recovery is the process of bolstering the ability of individuals, families and communities to bounce back and thrive after a disaster. Recovery is an approach that takes time — often months, if not years. CDP is deeply committed to long-term recovery, aiming to create sustainable and enduring solutions. We support this approach through our educational resources, consulting services and the recovery funds we manage as an intelligent intermediary for our donors, guided by our knowledge and relationships.
- Incorporating racial and intersectional equity. Some communities are disproportionately affected by disasters because of race, ethnicity, gender, age and other identities. Disasters exacerbate existing social inequities that make some populations vulnerable before and after a disaster. CDP supports efforts that address systemic racism and other forms of discrimination to achieve equitable disaster recovery.
- Strengthening local leadership and capacity building. Neighbors, community-based organizations, first responders and faith communities are usually first on the scene after a disaster. Those most affected by the disaster know their community and the challenges that hinder recovery. CDP invests in these local leaders and organizations to take the lead in their own recovery process, recognizing their unique understanding of community challenges. CDP also takes the time to strategically invest in building capacity so solutions can be sustained, even after the support from CDP is received.
Fostering collaboration and building capacity for effective recovery
Disasters are multifaceted and require a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders. Supporting local leaders and organizations with the resources they need allows them to take the lead in their own recovery process. When communities tell us what they need, we listen. This approach makes it possible for the community to be more resilient in the future. Taking this approach also leads to better collaboration between funder and grantor.
Another important piece of CDP’s process lies within the grantmaking itself. We support organizations with grants that make it possible to build their capacity and talent for their communities and themselves. Sometimes our grants include funding for adding staff, developing training and expertise, and mobilizing resources for broader audiences. This investment ensures that organizations can navigate the challenges posed by disasters effectively and strategically.
Embracing equitable and responsible recovery
CDP envisions a world in which the impact of disasters is minimized by thoughtful, equitable and responsible recovery. We focus on medium- and long-term recovery, directing financial and technical support where it is most needed to make a more equitable recovery possible. Additionally, we provide expert advice and educational resources to help donors make informed decisions about where and when to give.
Recovery is about more than just restoring structures and services. It’s about addressing sources of inequity and injustice so communities can rebuild stronger.
CDP responds to large-scale disasters that affect marginalized or at-risk populations. We also draw attention to hidden crises and ongoing needs, helping funders stay informed through our Weekly Disaster Round-Up blog posts and creating disaster profiles to provide donors with detailed information.
Empowering disaster philanthropists
“At the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, we encourage all donors to be disaster philanthropists,” Patty McIlreavy wrote in a January 2023 article at the Forbes Nonprofit Council, emphasizing that all donors are disaster philanthropists, whether they realize it or not.
At CDP, we understand the complexities of disasters and utilize our resources and expertise to strengthen communities’ ability to withstand these events and recover equitably. We encourage everyone to do the same: leverage what you’ve experienced, who you care for and what you know to make a more equitable and responsible disaster recovery possible for all. Because you too are a disaster philanthropist and, together, we can support stronger communities.
Learn more about the vital work the Center for Disaster Philanthropy does at DisasterPhilanthropy.org.
Posted on December 1, 2023
Vote for the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Common Cause this December
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly grant to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This December, you can support the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Common Cause.
Center for Biological Diversity
The Center for Biological Diversity is dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Our mission is to secure a future for all species, great and small, especially those hovering on the brink of extinction.
Funding from CREDO members will help power the Center for Biological Diversity’s 200+ active lawsuits against those who want to destroy forests, drill in our oceans and push endangered species and the climate closer to the brink.
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s mission is to mobilize philanthropy to strengthen the ability of communities to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur.
CREDO’s support allows us to direct financial and technical assistance where it is needed most, provide expert advice from experienced professionals, and disseminate educational resources to empower informed disaster giving.
Common Cause
With 1.5 million members and 25 state offices, we remove barriers to the ballot box and push back against bad legislation and actors who want to suppress the vote. We train Election Protection watchdogs, end partisan gerrymanders, combat disinformation, and more.
Funding from CREDO members will help us pass more pro-democracy, pro-voter laws. We’ve won common sense solutions like expanding vote-by-mail, making ballots available in multiple languages, extending early voting periods, automatic voter registration, and more.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donations among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by December 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and join our movement.
Posted on November 30, 2023
Our November grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. In November, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among the American Civil Liberties Union, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund and Stand.earth.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our November grant recipients thank you.
American Civil Liberties Union
“We are incredibly grateful to CREDO members for sustaining the ACLU as we push back against assaults on abortion and voting rights and relentlessly fight for systemic equality and trans justice. Thank you for standing with us.” – Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, ACLU
To learn more, visit www.aclu.org.
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund
“¡Gracias! Your vote and continued support will help propel and transform our nation’s democracy into one that is representative and responsive to Latinos, and all peoples.” – Hector Sanchez Barba, President & CEO, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund
To learn more, visit www.mfveducationfund.org.
Stand.earth
“A big THANK YOU for your continued inspiration and engagement! CREDO members like you represent the indomitable people power that stands up to corporate polluters, and drives the transition to the just and renewable future the climate crisis demands.” – Tzeporah Berman, International Program Director, Stand.earth
To learn more, visit stand.earth.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in December, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on November 30, 2023
How to take .5 selfies, the wide-angle photos getting all the focus from Gen Z
If you have young people around for the holidays, chances are you’ll be taking some .5 selfies. Some what? you might wonder. Well, .5 selfies are the photo trend at the forefront of social media today, obsessively popular with Gen Z users. Simply called a “point five,” they’re wide-angle shots, often of a group, often so wide-angle that the people in them are crazily distorted.
Which is good. .5s are not supposed to be perfect. Out are the cropped, shopped and filtered images in which everyone looks like a supermodel. In is the .5, which is intended to look spontaneous, casual, relatable and real. Like, “I’m not a TikTok influencer, I’m me.”
We think that’s cool. We think we should be our authentic selves as much as possible. We think we should all take all the photos we want to capture that self and the .5 is a great format to do it. Here’s how.
One reason .5s are so popular is they’re easy. You don’t have to be a Gen Z tech whiz to take .5s. But you do have to follow a few steps for a satisfactory result. They come out best if your phone has an ultrawide camera lens, which most phones do now. Look for the 0.5 or 0.5x setting. If you don’t have one, select the mode with the smallest number. The vast majority of phones do not have an ultrawide lens on the front-facing camera, so you’ll have to use the rear-facing camera. Which means you won’t be able to see the image you’re capturing. But that’s the .5’s whole raison d’etre: verite. It should look spur-of-the-moment and non-composed. You’re winging it.
Since you’ll be using the rear-facing camera, you’ll probably have to push an alternate button to snap the photo. On most phones, you’ll use the volume button.
The angle is important. On most .5s, the angle is elevated, so extend your arm, raise your hand up and press the volume button.
Because you’re using a wide angle, you can fit a lot of people in the frame, which makes the .5 ideal for holiday gatherings. Don’t worry about looking immaculate. That’s not the point. Just be you. Vamp, vogue, smize (smile with your eyes). Hold your phone closer to get more distortion, which is often the goal in a .5. For maximum distortion, hold your phone close and perpendicular to your forehead. Then you’ll get exaggerated eyes, spaghetti legs, tiny feet—that’s what you’re after.
.5s are excellent for capturing moments big and small. But really the point is that there are no small moments in life, just as there are no small people. Gone are the days of creating and curating a flawless, performative public image. We are who we are and that’s perfectly fine.
Posted on November 22, 2023
A Thanksgiving message
Thanksgiving. As much as it’s about food, festivities and gratitude, it’s also about community. About reaffirming our connection with family, friends and all those who share our hopes, concerns and beliefs.
For us, that’s you. You’re a member of the CREDO Mobile community and you share our belief that, together, we can create a better world. Which we are. With your help, we’re making a real difference for the progressive causes we care about, causes like climate justice, economic fairness and equal rights for everyone.
For this, we thank you. Thanks for supporting us, for voting in our monthly donations election, for reading our blog posts and emails.
Thanks especially if you’re a customer of CREDO Mobile. Because just by using our service, you generate much-needed donations for the nonprofit groups that depend on us to fund the vital work they do. Groups like Stand.earth, Planned Parenthood and the National LGBTQ Task Force.
And like Feeding America, which is fighting food security this holiday season and beyond. We’re grateful to be able to donate 500,000 meals as part of the organization’s meaningful Thanksgiving effort, thanks to customers like you.
Also thanking you are the nonprofits we support. Please take a moment to read messages of gratitude from a few of the groups that rely on us—and you—to do what they do.
Posted on November 16, 2023
Cool stuff you didn’t know your phone can do
Last week we shared some tips on how to get more out of your smartphone. Here are some additional tips and features to get the most out of your phone.
Android features
— prefaced by the proviso that not every Android phone has the exact same settings menu, so some of the steps we describe may not exactly match the steps necessary on your phone. If not, just use the search function in your phone’s settings menu or do a Google Search to find the right steps for your phone.
6. Turn on Find My Device
This feature will do more than track your phone if it’s lost or stolen. It will ring your phone if you’ve misplaced it at home, even if your phone is in silent mode.
If your phone is lost or stolen, with Find My Device you can remotely lock your phone, sign out of all accounts or erase your device entirely. Go to Settings > Security > Find My Device and toggle on Use Find My Device.
7. Link your phone to your Windows PC
Apple users have long enjoyed the ability to access their iPhone from their Apple PC. Now Android users can too. With Phone Link, you can access your phone from your Windows computer and see photos, read and reply to texts, take calls and receive notifications.
Go to Settings > Connections or Advanced Features, then navigate to Link to Windows. If you don’t have the Phone Link app on your device, you can get it from the Google Play Store.
8. Quick-launch your camera
It has no doubt happened to you. That once-in-a-lifetime photo op comes along and you miss it because you’re fumbling to unlock your screen and tap on the camera button. Most Android phones have a shortcut. Just double press the power button and your camera will open immediately.
9. Add your medical information
If you have a medical emergency, it’s vital for first responders to know your medical information and you may not be able to tell them. You can add the info to your phone so they can view your blood type, allergies, medications, address and other information from your lock screen. Go to Safety and Emergency > Medical Info.
10. Transcribe conversations in real time
This is a very helpful feature for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It automatically converts speech into text in real time. It’s also useful for anyone who wants to make a note while driving, say, or who needs a written record of a conversation. New Pixel phones have Live Transcribe pre-installed. You can also download the app from Google Play.
Handy iOS tips and tricks
Here are some additional cool features and settings iPhone has to offer.
6. Change your default browser or email app
If you want to use, say, Chrome and Gmail as the default browser and email on your iPhone, you can, if you have iOS 14 or later. Then if you click on a link, it will open with Chrome. If you click on an email address, it will open with Gmail.
Before you begin, make sure the app you want to use is installed on your iPhone. Then go to Settings and scroll down until you see the browser app or email app you want. Tap the app, then tap Default Browser App or Default Mail App. Select a web browser or email app to set it as the default. A checkmark will confirm that it’s the new default.
7. Magnify the small stuff
You probably don’t need a magnifying glass often—so you probably don’t have one handy. But sometimes you do need one and, when you do, you can use your iPhone as a magnifying glass to discern details in a photo or read the fine print.
If you don’t see the Magnifier app on your home screen, swipe down and search for Magnifier. You can zoom in, filter colors, add light with the flashlight, and adjust brightness and contrast.
8. Shoot photos in bursts
The secret of taking good pictures is taking a lot of pictures—at least a few of them will be standout shots. And, with an iPhone, you don’t need a fancy digital DLSR. If you have an iPhone X or earlier version, press and hold down the camera’s shutter button. If you have an iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later version, swipe the shutter button to the left. When you’re done, just lift your finger.
9. Find your car
You’re in a big parking lot or garage and you can’t find your car. First, it’s embarrassing. Then, as your search continues, it gets alarming. But with your iPhone you can locate your ride. Maps will drop a parked car marker when you disconnect your iPhone from your car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay system and leave your car.
Before you start, switch on Location Services. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, then turn on Location Services. Also switch on Significant Locations. In Settings, tap Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services, then turn on Significant Locations.
Now switch on Show Parked Location in Maps. Go to Settings > Maps. Scroll down to Show Parked Location and turn it on. To get notifications about your car, go to Settings > Notifications > Maps, turn on Allow Notifications and choose the type of alerts you want to get.
To get directions to your parked car, in Maps search for Parked Car. Select Parked Car to see the location and tap Directions. Your phone will give you a route. On your home screen, tap the search field and tap Parked Car below the Siri suggestions to get directions to your car.
You must turn on Bluetooth and use Maps on an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 10 or later to use Show Parked Location. Maps will drop a parked car marker when you disconnect your iPhone from your car’s Bluetooth or CarPlay system and exit your car.
10. Set your phone to self-destruct
In the worst-case scenario of your phone falling into the wrong hands, you can program it to self-destruct. Turn on the setting and, if someone enters a wrong password more than 10 times, your phone will turn into a paper weight. Don’t turn the setting on if you think you might forget your password or if you have a child who can get ahold of your phone and start going at the lock screen.
If you want to proceed, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Your phone will ask you to enter your Passcode. Then scroll down and turn on Erase Data. Now if someone tries repeatedly to break into your phone, your data will be erased.
Here’s one feature you’ll find only in a phone from CREDO Mobile: it makes the world better.
That’s because our customers generate donations for nonprofit groups fighting for a better world just by using our service.
These donations cost our members nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits we support. Since 1985, we’ve given over $94 million to progressive groups like Earthjustice, Planned Parenthood and the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
Join CREDO Mobile today and you’ll get the good feeling that comes with knowing you support the causes important to you just by using your phone. You’ll also get all you want from a phone company: competitive rates, great deals on new devices and nationwide coverage on the top-rated, most reliable network.
Posted on November 9, 2023
Cool phone features not everyone knows about
With every update to the Android and iOS operating systems, there come waves of new features, shortcuts, apps and settings. Many of them you know about and use to make your phone work better for you. But many other handy features may have escaped your notice.
So we put together this post to highlight some cool, often-overlooked Android and iOS settings.
First, the Android features
— prefaced by the proviso that not every Android phone has the exact same settings menu, so some of the steps we describe may not exactly match the steps necessary on your phone. If not, just use the search function in your phone’s settings menu or do a Google Search to find the right steps for your phone.
1. Change default apps
This is a good, perhaps necessary first step when you get a new Android phone. Your new phone will usually be set up to use apps offered by the manufacturer by default. For example, Samsung phones are set to use Samsung apps for internet browsing and texting.
You may be happy with the manufacturer’s preset apps—or you may want to use others, like Google Chrome instead of Samsung Internet. You can easily change your default apps to those you prefer. Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps and select the apps you want.
2. Show the battery percentage in the status bar
It can be hard to tell exactly how much battery life you’ve got left by squinting at that little battery icon. You can see exactly how much juice is left by adding a percentage next to the icon. Go to Settings > Battery, then slide the Battery Percentage toggle switch to on.
3. Turn on notification history
Sometimes notifications are annoying. Often they’re useful—and likely you’ve at least once cleared all your notifications by mistake and wished you hadn’t.
Android phones after the Android 11 update have a Notification History setting you can turn on to see your recent notifications if you clear them by accident. Open Settings and go to Notifications > Notification History, then turn on the Use Notification History toggle.
4. Stop intrusive app notifications
Speaking of notifications, sometimes there are too many. Your notifications panel gets flooded with alerts submerge those you do care about. You can stop notifications from the notifications panel. Just long press on the notification you don’t want and you’ll see options. You can silence that app’s notifications or turn them off entirely.
Or, in the settings menu, go to Notifications > App Settings. Here, you can manage notifications from individual apps and even choose what kind of notifications you want and don’t want. For example, you can set a shopping app to send you order updates but not marketing messages.
5. Turn on Live Caption
Sometimes you want to watch a video or “listen” to a podcast without the sound. With the Android 10 update came a neat feature called Live Caption that lets you do this. It adds captions to all speech in real time.
Go to Settings > Sounds and Vibration > Live Caption. Turn it on and, whenever you use your volume control, you’ll see a button show up beneath the volume slider. Tap the button and Google AI will generate captions on your phone screen whenever it detects speech—from a video, social media, podcast or video call.
Handy iOS tips and tricks
People who have iPhones tend to really like their iPhones. But even the most loyal users don’t know all the cool features and settings their phones offer. Here are 5 that we find helpful.
1. Use the Measure app as a spirit level
Your iPhone’s Measure function does measurements, obviously, but it does more. It shows you if your shelf or artwork is absolutely straight. Go to Measure > Level, then hold your phone against your shelf or picture frame and skooch the shelf or frame till you see green on your phone.
2. Turn your keyboard into a trackpad
If you’re writing a text or email on your phone, you often need to move the cursor to make an edit—and that can be frustrating, because fingers are big, cursors are small. For easy cursoring (and less cursing), turn your keyboard into a trackpad.
Just press and hold the spacebar on your iPhone keyboard. You’ll see the other keys fade to gray and you can then slide your finger around the keyboard and use it like the trackpad on a laptop.
3. Flip a coin to decide
Who carries coins anymore? Not lot of people. If you find yourself with a vital decision to make (who gets the last cookie, who rides in the front seat) but no change in your pocket, you can flip a coin on your iPhone. Siri will do it for you. Just say, “Hey Siri, flip a coin.”
4. Store medical information
If you’re ever incapacitated in an emergency, it’s critical for first responders to know any medical needs particular to you, like your blood type, allergies, medications and emergency contacts. They can get it all from your lock screen. Open the Health app, tap your photo at top right, tap Medical ID, then tap Get Started or Edit.
5. Cancel the noise
You can spend a lot of money on noise-canceling headphones—up to $1,500 (no kidding). Or you can use your iPhone. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual (under Hearing) > Background Sounds. You can choose from Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Rain, Ocean and Stream.
Here’s one feature you’ll find only in a phone from CREDO Mobile: it makes the world better.
That’s because our customers generate donations for nonprofit groups fighting for a better world just by using our service.
These donations cost our members nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits we support. Since 1985, we’ve given over $94 million to progressive groups like Earthjustice, Planned Parenthood and the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
Join CREDO Mobile today and you’ll get the good feeling that comes with knowing you support the causes important to you just by using your phone. You’ll also get all you want from a phone company: competitive rates, great deals on new devices and nationwide coverage on the top-rated, most reliable network.
Posted on November 7, 2023
Stand.earth delivers large-scale change for our planet and its people
Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This November, Stand.earth is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will help Stand.earth as it builds collective power through campaigns that turn small actions into massive, lasting results for our planet.
Read this important blog post about Stand.earth’s critical work, then visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to Stand.earth to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding November grantees.
Our world needs massive, innovative solutions to its most pressing climate and environmental problems, and Stand.earth delivers.
In our effort to secure a healthy, thriving future for everyone on Earth—our one and only home—we’ve succeeded time and time again. We’ve done it by drawing undeniable links between specific corporate and governmental behavior and ongoing environmental crises, putting pressure on the people who can fix them, and offering guidance, support and actionable plans to key decision-makers as they transition to responsible long-term solutions.
Whether we’re protecting old-growth forests from irresponsible logging, stopping harmful fossil fuel projects in their tracks and reducing demand for fossil fuels around the world, giving cities the tools they need to make their communities safe from fossil fuels or changing the face of a polluting, carbon-dependent global transportation industry, we’ve led corporations and governments to embrace meaningful, enduring change.
Two decades of effective action
Since our founding more than 20 years ago, the Stand community has:
- Secured government agreements to protect tens of millions of acres of endangered ecosystems, from the temperate rainforests of British Columbia and Chile to the Amazon rainforest, Boreal forests and many more. Around the world, we’ve shown what we can accomplish with the power of the global Stand network.
- Stopped or delayed 21 dirty oil and gas mega-projects, from the Enbridge Corporation’s Northern Gateway Pipelines in Canada to oil train terminals across North America to Royal Dutch Shell’s plan to drill for fracked gas in the Tahltan First Nation’s Sacred Headwaters region in British Columbia.
- Reached over 1,540 institutions representing more than $40 trillion in assets that have committed to some level of fossil fuel divestment. We pressed for the world’s first policy by an international bank to end financing for oil and gas in the Amazon, which took billions of dollars off the table for this destructive industry. We also grew reinvestment in climate-safe solutions, including a $7 billion reinvestment by New York City’s pension fund, far exceeding its 2018 goal of $4 billion.
- Catalyzed 150 government policies (and counting) that phase out fossil fuels and fast-track clean, more efficient energy solutions in communities that are home to over 66 million people, including the world’s first ban on new fossil fuel exports in a refinery community.
- Moved more than $100 billion of financial power from sector-leading brands like Levi’s, Starbucks and 3M to set new standards for climate-safe behavior and corporate consumption.
Building strength for future impact
These precedent-setting accomplishments are only the beginning. We continue to grow as an organization and a movement. From a small core of founding members, we’ve expanded into a dedicated staff of 70 in 2023. With new staff members in key locations, we’re more capable than ever of providing the rapid response that is key to keeping ecosystems—and the people who live in them—healthy and safe.
Your vote through CREDO Mobile is a vote in support of a climate-safe, fossil-free future in which governments, corporations and infrastructure serve the needs of our planet and its people. Thank you. To learn more, visit Stand.earth or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Posted on November 6, 2023
How a unique program powers positive change in the world
War, climate change, growing inequality. Plastic pollution and political chaos. Laws against women’s health and hate for LGBTQ+ people. There’s a lot of bad news in the world. You know this.
But you should also know this: there is good news. CREDO Mobile makes it every day. We do it by funding nonprofits devoted to positive change through a unique—and uniquely effective—donations program.
It works this way. When our customers use our service, they generate funds for the program. At the end of each month, we take those funds and grant them to three nonprofit groups dedicated to progressive change. Then, the next month, we do it again. Since 1985, we’ve given over $94 million to groups fighting for causes like climate justice, equal rights and an economy that’s fair for everyone.
These donations cost our customers nothing extra. But they mean everything to the groups we support. And they work. Here are just a few of the changes our nonprofit partners have powered recently.
- Amazon Watch pressed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to veto a right-wing attempt to restrain the rising strength of Indigenous peoples in Brazil. This is a critical win for Indigenous rights and for the Amazon rainforest.
- Social Security Works shared the truth about new House Speaker Mike Johnson. He’s an enemy of Social Security who wants to raise the retirement age, cut benefits and force women to have babies so the ultra-wealthy can continue avoiding their fair share of Social Security contributions.
- Stand.earth stopped or delayed 21 fossil fuel mega-projects, from bitumen pipelines to oil train terminals to natural-gas fracking. If we are to avoid climate catastrophe, it’s crucial that projects like these be halted now.
- March for Our Lives organized nationwide protests following the horrific mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, to demand that elected officials take action. Soon after the protests, bipartisan gun reform legislation was passed and signed into law by President Biden, the first major gun safety legislation by Congress in nearly 30 years.
- Equal Rights Advocates drove workplace-justice reforms in California to protect half a million domestic workers and garment factory workers from unsafe conditions and wage theft.
A lot of dollars for change
Our nonprofit partners were able to do all these things—and much more—because CREDO Mobile members did one thing: they used their phones. Yes, it really is that simple. And it’s enormously impactful, raising real money and powering real victories for progressive causes.
We make a difference—and that’s why we’re different. Our passion is not dollars, it’s change. And we operate a donations program robust and effective enough to make it happen.
It’s sorely needed. Just read the news. A lot of it is bad. Join us and you’ll get the great feeling that comes with knowing you’re part of a movement that brings good news to life every day.
You’ll also get everything you want in a phone company: competitive rates, great deals on new devices and service on the nation’s top-rated network.
Ready to switch? Ready to take action and make progressive change? It’s easy to do. You can bring the phone you have now. And you can choose from a variety of affordable plans to suit you—same as the other carriers.
There are not many companies these days that share your values. All too often, their values and your values aren’t even in the same area code. We’re different. We believe in positive change, just like you—and we make it happen every day. Join us.
Posted on November 6, 2023
CREDO Climate Survey shows people know it’s an emergency and are ready to act
The first step in solving a problem is to acknowledge that there is one.
Well, climate change is a problem. “We are in the early phase of a climate emergency,” warns a recent report co-authored by preeminent climate scientist James Hansen. And most people now acknowledge that it is. In a September poll by the Pew Research Center, 71% of Americans said climate change is causing some harm or a great deal of harm to people in the U.S. today.
Meanwhile, progressives—who always lead the way to solutions—are near unanimous in recognition of the climate crisis. In our just-released CREDO Climate Survey, over 95% of respondents said they’re “extremely worried” or “very worried” about climate change.
Now is the time for action
So we acknowledge the problem, at least most of us do. We must now get to work on solutions. Encouragingly, people say they’re ready and willing to start. Our survey asked respondents if they agree or disagree that they have a personal responsibility to take action to fight the climate crisis and over 98% said they “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree.”
“Each of us has a moral and ethical responsibility to do all possible for the survival of the Earth and all its creatures,” said one respondent. “I consider it a moral and spiritual call to care for creation,” said another. “I want to do my part as an individual and also engage in action with others to change systems because we need to do that to have any hope of keeping the planet livable.”
So how do we do it? We do it ourselves and we do it together. We know climate action won’t happen if we wait around for government and business. Asked how much responsibility individuals should take for the climate crisis, over 86% of respondents to our survey agreed, “A lot; it is all our shared responsibility to make change and create a sustainable future.”
CREDO Climate Project makes a difference
What government can do, what business can do, is offer solutions that make a difference so people can get started. That’s why we set up the CREDO Climate Project. The 6-week program was a partnership with five amazing nonprofits: 350.org, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, the League of Conservation Voters and the Years Project. It presented 15 ways to take meaningful action at this critical time, from joining September’s March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City to telling the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into electric utility companies that are blocking the transition to renewable energy to protect their profits.
The response was impressive and we thank everyone who got involved. Dozens joined the March to End Fossil Fuels. Almost a thousand urged the FTC to investigate electric utilities. Over 500 signed up to get climate action alerts from Earthjustice and over 400 signed up to volunteer with the League of Conservation Voters.
These actions alone will not solve the climate crisis. We know this. We also know that the only way the crisis will be solved is with small actions taken by many people. Some may look at the enormity of the climate crisis and conclude that small actions are hopeless. They’re not. They’re the only hope we’ve got.
Fight the fire: Join CREDO Mobile
Last summer (the hottest ever recorded, by a “mind-blowing” margin) we took another survey. We asked our partners in the CREDO Climate Project how the actions of CREDO Mobile members are helping in the fight to save our planet. We got a lot of encouraging replies and we’d like to share this one, from Charity Migwi, Africa regional campaigner for 350Africa.org, an African grassroots movement coming together to champion climate solutions.
“Like the hummingbird in Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai’s inspiring tale, the little things we do in the face of the climate crisis are not insignificant drops in the vast ocean of challenges. Instead, they are the courageous acts of individuals who refuse to stand idle. Just as the tiny hummingbird carries water droplets to extinguish a forest fire, our collective ‘little things’ hold the power to ignite a wave of change that will shape a more sustainable and resilient world for generations to come.”
Here’s a little thing you can do now: join CREDO Mobile. It’s a small step—switching is easy—but it will make a real impact in the effort to save our planet. Join us and, just by using your phone, you’ll generate vital donations for nonprofit groups combatting climate change.
To date, we’ve donated over $20 million to groups fighting to save our climate. With your help, we’ll donate much more in the months ahead. These donations cost you nothing extra. But they mean everything to the nonprofits that rely on us for support.
Switch to CREDO Mobile and you’ll get all you want from a phone company: the nation’s top-rated network, competitive plans, great deals on new phones and friendly, responsive customer service.
And you’ll get much more: an easy, effective way to make a difference for our climate.
Here’s another step you can take. Go to CREDO Donations and vote to send funding to nonprofits working to solve the climate emergency.
