Airport Donations Take Off

How do you make up a yawning gap in funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria? By asking airline passengers to pay an extra two bucks when they book their ticket. Time reports that UNITAID, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to combating those diseases, believes new funding approaches are needed as traditional aid funding can't keep up with the demand.

Thanks to a partnership with ticket reservation services, UNITAID will ask nearly everyone who buys an airplane ticket in the U.S. to donate two dollars to fight the diseases. UNITAID will then pass on the money to UNICEF, the Clinton Foundation and other organizations which will use the money to address the spread of disease, as well as to improve women's health and reduce child mortality.

Of course the program isn't likely to raise all the money needed to prevent the spread of disease, but McKinsey & Co estimates it could eventually raise $1 billion a year.

Point-of-sale donations are gaining momentum, with companies like Safeway and Hollywood video asking customers to donate the few cents necessary to round up to the next dollar or to donate a dollar. It isn't surprising that technology leaders like Expedia and Travelocity are the latest adopters.