Set to launch in a few weeks, the “Round Up & Donate” program means that with future rides, Lyft will automatically round up your fare to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to fighting issues “impacting everyone everywhere, from climate change to the pursuit of equality.” The company did not further define the phrase “pursuit of equality.”
All you’ll have to do to take part is opt in to the program via Lyft’s app by way of a one-time tap. “Set it and forget it,” the company said.
On its website, the San Francisco-based Lyft offered an example of how Round Up & Donate will work: “If a passenger has opted into the program and their fare is $12.75, we’ll round up the total to $13. That difference of $0.25 will then be donated to a charity.”
Now, 25 cents might not sound like much, but multiply similar amounts racked up via millions of Lyft rides across the U.S. — as of August 2016 it was completing more than 14.5 million rides a month — and we could be looking at some seriously useful cash donations for a range of causes.
In a New York Times ad on Sunday announcing the initiative, Lyft told its riders, “The power of this community is yours. You made it. And whether you tap in, or just do your bit by riding, you’re sitting on a changemaker. All you gotta do is take a seat to take a stand.”
Lyft promised it will be “keeping close tabs on this program and will report back on its impact.”
