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The popular geo-location app grew its total user base as it transitioned from nonprofit to for-profit--having more users to give to charity in the process. In a fascinating case study of how the for-profit industry can sometimes make a greater social impact than the nonprofit world, Shopkick , a popular geo-location app, has paradoxically created a more charitable community since it decided to ditch its charity business model and focus on giving people free stuff. The app rewards users with virtual currency for completing various check-in tasks at selected retailers which can then be redeemed for products or used to give equivalently to a charity.

The AARP is known for the following: retirement benefits, travel discounts, and commercials of old people smiling, frowning, or falling down. But last month, the nonprofit organization for those 50 and older launched a new service that takes advantage of a massive untapped market in the digital music industry: baby boomers

Senators Al Franken and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill yesterday that takes direct aim at online privacy.

Whom do bold thinkers look to for inspiration?

Scott Harrison was 28 years old, sitting on a beach in Uruguay with a model girlfriend, a Rolex watch and a BMW waiting nearby—a life the nightclub promoter in New York City had been chasing after for nearly 10 years—when he realized (in his own words) "what a selfish scumbag" he was. His entire adult life had been geared towards serving himself and the club patrons, and when he had done nothing to help others, it made him step back. Seven years removed from that day on the beach, Harrison is still in New York, heading up charity: water , a non-profit organization that has delivered clean drinking water to over 1 million underserved people in 17 different countries, and aspires to help more than 100 million in the next ten years.

Start a company. Change the world

Brenda Palms Barber, Chicago's Queen of Second Chances, is dedicated to finding jobs for former prison inmates. But when the nonprofit she runs couldn't overcome employers' resistance to bringing on ex-offenders, she spun out a business so she could hire them herself.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit can still generate earned income. And plenty do. The National Center for Charitable Statistics estimates that nearly 70 percent of the $1.4 trillion generated by nonprofits in 2008 came from the sale of goods and services.

Most people who buy a Big Mac aren't concerned about where it came from--or whether the accompanying fries are made using sustainable palm oil. But apparently, McDonald's cares. The company recently announced its Sustainable Land Management Commitment , a pledge to work with suppliers that ensure agricultural raw materials and packaging come from sustainable sources.

Each day, Inc.'s reporters scour the Web for the most important and interesting news to entrepreneurs. Here's what we found today. Work less

The folks behind the TED conference have a theory that ads don't have to be annoying; they can, if done well, be compelling enough to spur viewers to share them with friends. This week, TED announced the 10 winners of its Ads Worth Spreading challenge, which asked entrants to create ads that "raise the bar, elevate the craft and invent new forms of engagement, both online and in general." The winning ads range in length from 30 seconds to over 5 minutes, and come from notable ad agencies like Wieden + Kennedy and Ogilvy, as well as lesser-known shops like Venables Bell & Partners and Legs Media