A Really Good Deal -- Seven Social Buying Sites Mixing Daily Deals And Charitable Giving

"Social buying" is a massive global phenomenon, only likely to grow in size as we become ever more connected to each other via the mobile web. (For evidence, witness social buying site Groupon turning down a $6 billion offer from Google and subsequently scoring nearly a billion dollars in venture financing.)

However, what many people don't realize is that quite a few sites of this kind were formed with a larger goal than getting you 30% off your next dry cleaning bill. Part of the original intent of Groupon's founders was to find a way to connect people in communities and reinvigorate traffic to local businesses, allowing them to more effectively compete for walletshare with their global corporate competition.

With that in mind, here is a list, from the ever-awesome Mashable, that details seven social buying sites that direct some of the collective savings and/or collective energy they generate from their members towards charitable purposes. Saving some money and doing some good? Priceless.