• Let your purchases make a difference with affinity cards.credit cards image by Aleksandr Lobanov from Fotolia.com
  
  Affinity credit cards are an effective way to give to your favorite charity or donate money to a worthy cause just by making everyday purchases. Affinity cards typically are affiliated with a charity, educational institution or nonprofit agency. Every time cardholders make a purchase, a portion of that transaction goes to help the organization affiliated with the card.
  
  

Charitable Organizations

• With an affinity card, you can help your favorite charity without spending any extra money. As a consumer, you have a number of charity inspired affinity cards to choose from, including those designed to help progressive and human rights organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Each time you use the affinity card, a portion of the transaction is donated to the organization sponsoring the card, providing a painless way to give for those who believe in a particular cause.
  
  

Educational Institutions

• A number of affinity cards are associated with educational endeavors throughout the world. One of the most notable is the Elvis card, featuring a picture of the "King" and designed to assist the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which provides assistance and scholarships to needy families. Other affinity cards devoted to education include the RedCard, offered by Target Stores, and the World Mission card, which provides assistance to Catholic charities around the world.
  
  

Nonprofit Agencies

• Many affinity cards are designed to assist nonprofit agencies with their good works. These cards donate a portion of each transaction to the nonprofit agency affiliated with the card, giving cardholders an opportunity to do a good deed with the money that they spend. One of the most well-known affinity credit cards is sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, a wetlands and nature conservation group. Part of the money spent on the card goes to these worthy endeavors. With Ducks Unlimited, consumers can choose a card that offers rewards points to them as well as donations to the nonprofit, although the amount of donations going to Ducks Unlimited is less with the rewards card than with the traditional one.