Image Credit: Alessandra Taryn

It’s one thing to earn frequent flyer miles.

It’s another challenge to redeem them.

Now there’s an alternative—donating your miles to a worthy cause.

In many cases, the airlines will match your donations on a one-to-one basis.

Consider giving your miles to Make-A-Wish Foundation.

They help make very sick children’s dreams come true.

Then there’s Hero Miles run by the folks at Fisher House.

This group uses the donated air miles to assist with travel for injured or sick military personnel and their families.

Then there’s the Rainbow Railroad, which is dedicated to protecting LGBTQ folks from around the world.

How do they use the donated miles? They transport at-risk individuals to safer locations.

You can even donate miles to the American Red Cross.

Those miles are used to get volunteers to troubled spots during emergencies.

If you have some United miles saved, you can donate them to Operation USA, which also provides assistance to those in need around the world.

To learn more about how you can help others, check out:

• After Hurricane Harvey: How You Can Help
• How Hotels Are Incorporating Voluntourism Opportunities
• Giving Back: Volunteering at a Donkey Sanctuary in Aruba

Keep reading for more travel tips.