February 22, 2012 marks the launch of a unique social giving campaign: Everyone Gives. This giving event—dubbed the most inclusive initiative of its kind—will enable charities, companies and public figures to collaboratively mobilize their networks, raising awareness of a global charitable event that will demonstrate the collective power we all share to dramatically impact the world for good.
The premise is elegantly simple: use social media and technology to leverage your personal networks and connections, and contribute to whatever individual cause or charity you care most about. What’s more, those you bring to your giving tree can immediately do the same with their networks as well.
Everyone Gives is the vision of Doug Frye (Global CEO of Colliers International), who throughout his career has been an amazing leader for social good and aspirational community impact. He believes in the power each and every one of us has to change the world in which we live. He believes that if everyone gives, nothing is impossible.
To be clear, Everyone Gives is not itself a charity. It’s a community-based platform that connects causes with givers; every cent donated goes directly to the participating charities. Colliers International was the first corporate sponsor of the initiative, donating resources and time to launch the project. The goal is to harness individual inspiration to create a global torrent of giving that can truly change the world.
It’s a simple process. Make a small donation—say, $5—to a participating charity of your choice. Through the Everyone Gives website, your donation initiates a “tree” of giving; your gift is selectively shared with your personal network, who are asked to contribute and encourage people in their network to join in. You can see your “seed” gift grow exponentially. Personally, the most exciting thing for me about Everyone Gives is the way it will bring people together.
Learn more by visiting everyonegives.org. Stay in touch with Everyone Gives on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Please help spread the word, and we’ll see you on February 22.
