Quote Originally Posted by BBatesokc View Post
In short 'no.'

A volunteer doesn't apply for a burger job or dry cleaning company to work, say one day a week, and have the company make the check out to their non-profit. That just wouldn't be feasible for most companies or worth their efforts.

The closest thing would be the occasional fundraiser where say a Sonic lets some local volunteers be the car hops for the afternoon and their tips go to the non-profit. Or, when Johnnies donates a portion of your purchase if you tell them what organization you are supporting.

This would be different in several key ways. For one, a volunteer could do it on their own schedule. They can also do it solo. And, the volunteer feels more like they had a direct impact on how much they raised. Plus, through some idol chit-chat during the 10-minute car ride they could share some info on the organization they support. And, it would capitalize on the newness and 'cool' factor of the ride-sharing concept. All of those things differentiate it from your examples above.
Uber Probed By Judge On Driver Benefits

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge appeared skeptical on Friday about Uber's bid for a quick pretrial ruling that its drivers are contractors and not employees, a critical question facing Silicon Valley's sharing economy.

App-based ride service Uber, and smaller rival Lyft, face separate lawsuits seeking class action status in San Francisco federal court, brought on behalf of drivers who contend they are employees and entitled to reimbursement for expenses, including gas and vehicle maintenance. The drivers currently pay those costs themselves.

A ruling against either company could significantly raise their costs beyond the lawsuit's scope and force them to pay social security, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance. That could affect the valuations for other startups that rely on large networks of individuals to provide rides, clean houses and other services.

At a court hearing on Friday, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said Uber's bid for a pretrial ruling its drivers are contractors is a "tough argument" to make, given that the drivers serve Uber's business goals.

"The idea that Uber is simply a software platform, a service provider and nothing else, I don't find that a very persuasive argument," Chen said.