Credit card companies and financial institutions are finding ways to support charity easier, but who knew making a difference in the world could happen through signing up for a credit or debit card?

Americans gave an estimated $300 billion to charitable causes in 2006, according to SunTrust Banks Inc.

SunTrust is just one of the financial institutions that offer clients a way to donate to charities.

With SunTrust's "My Cause" giving program, which began Aug. 6 and will continue through Oct. 12, individuals who open a new SunTrust personal or business checking account, accept the SunTrust Visa check card and use it before Nov. 15, are given the opportunity to designate a $100 donation from SunTrust to a charity of the cardholder's choice or receive a $50 gift card for their personal use.

The catch is that the charity they designate the money toward must be an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization, eligible to accept tax-deductible contributions.

David Ramsay, CEO of the Tallahassee and Pensacola, Fla., SunTrust banks, said the company decided to offer this promotion because of the opportunity to make a difference in its branch's communities.

"Banks are considered the moral strength of a community. We're often sought for financial support for this and that cause. We wish we could respond to everyone," Ramsay said. "We thought maybe it would be better to allow customers to choose where the money flows throughout the community."

Ramsay said SunTrust is just beginning to get the promotion rolled out, but the response has been positive so far.

SunTrust isn't the only financial institution getting in on the giving process.

This year, Wells Fargo and Co. began offering its cardholders a way to redeem their rewards points toward supporting renewable energy projects.

Bank of America also announced that within the next year it will offer clients programs and cards toward giving to environmental organizations.

American Express also has developed similar ways for its customers to get in on the giving. Desiree Fish, a public affairs representative with American Express, said the GivingExpress program allows card members to donate their own funds, and the Members Project allows card members to dictate where money gets donated from the company, without actually having to donate the funds themselves.

"It isn't to supersede their giving but to let them know that we understand that they want to support charities," Fish said. "We're just giving them another vehicle to do it."

With the recently established Members Project, card members began submitting ideas to American Express on their favorite organization or project. More than 7,000 project ideas were submitted with the Members Project, and several thousand card members voted on the final winner, Fish said.

When the votes from card members were tallied Aug. 7, American Express announced it would donate $2 million to the project winner, "Children's Safe Drinking Water" for the United Nations Children's Fund, and an extra $100,000 to the remaining top four winners: DonorsChoose.org, American Solar Energy Society, National Park Foundation and American Forests.

After learning about the different options individuals have to donate toward charitable organizations through card companies and financial institutions, Florence resident Joyce Ragland said she believes it's a positive step made by the businesses, but she isn't sure if it's something she would take part in.

"I don't know if I would open a new account," Ragland said.

If she were to support an organization, though, Ragland said it would probably be the American Red Cross.

"I like organizations that tend to be community oriented and want to help, not just in our area, but everywhere across the nation," she said.

Sarah Myers, program assistant with Justgive.org, said the nonprofit group works with American Express's GivingExpress program to help process the funds toward organizations that card members choose. American Express isn't the only card company - they also work with Visa, MasterCard and Discover. "When people log on, they can search for Red Cross or a smaller, local nonprofit they want to donate to through our site," Myers said. "When they donate online, we mail a check to the nonprofit. It works really well for nonprofits that can't process donations online."

She said American Express is the only card company JustGive.org works with that has a specific giving program.

What many individual philanthropists may be asking themselves, though, is why they should give through a credit card company or bank rather than giving on their own.

"The nice thing about making the donation for them is it comes out of our pocket rather than theirs, and they can still have that good feeling of satisfaction that, 'I made a difference for my organization,' " Ramsay said.

Ramsay said SunTrust is not receiving a tax deduction for the donation made by the individual through the My Cause promotion.

"The bank would make it in that individual's name so the individual gets the income tax advantage," he said.

Aside from a business having the opportunity to spread its philanthropic wings, one might wonder what the benefit is of a business choosing to do something such as this and whether it is hurting or helping the financial bottom line.

"It would be treated as a business expense and lower the bank's income obviously," Ramsay said. "I think the benefit to the community is overwhelming, but we all try to have a good image in the community and all want to be a good partner. The community will acknowledge we were a part of that growth."

SunTrust Corporate Executive Vice President Gene Kirby, head of the company's retail and commercial banking lines, said the promotion enables the charitable causes to rally their constituents to help them raise funds.

For the business, it could mean gaining new, lifelong clients.

Fish said she believes that individuals are more apt to join forces with businesses when they share a similar vision and support what the individual deems as important.

"I think people more and more are becoming conscious consumers and want to work with brands who they know are helping their community and supporting global initiatives," Fish said.

The opportunity to get a business's name out is a positive aspect for companies as well.

"It's absolutely about helping to raise awareness for the American Express brand and the fact we care about card members, and our hope is that it makes them realize they're a member of something special," Fish said. "We're also trying to convey to people who don't have a card the benefits of why they'd want to be a member."

Businesses appealing to individuals through charitable promotions and world-changing projects might not be entirely altruistic, but it is a way to make a difference and gain a little exposure at the same time.

"So many people are saying, 'I want to do something to make my community or state better.' There's no way in the world we'd be able to have some sort of influence or provide assistance to organizations without having something like this," Ramsay said.

After individuals sign up for the card and take part in the My Cause promotion, Ramsay said there will obviously be a few people who will vacate the account, but his hope is that they will stay with the bank.

"We believe that most people who helped out by signing up to make a donation will have the mindset that, 'The organization helped my charity, and I think I'll stay with them.' "

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