Our Story
Here is a short overview of the story that has taken place over the past 15+ years. There are so many details and nuances to this story that I have NOT included (else you would be reading for ages). So if you feel like you'd like to learn more, drop me a line and I'd be more than willing to talk your ear off. :)
How it Started
Back in 2006, and after a long day at work (trying to build my first start-up), I walked in the door and saw that Dateline NBC was on the TV and this young boy was being interviewed. The interview, and the boy (Patrick), caught my attention. He was being asked about a series of events that had taken place and he so calmly responded to each - and each of the events was horrific when I compare it to anything that has ever taken place in my life.
The young boy, Patrick Arop is his name, had been abducted by Joseph Kony and his rebel army and forced to join their efforts as a child solider. Moreover, Patrick described how he and others were forced (at gunpoint) to commit unspeakable acts against others as Joseph Kony swept through northern Uganda and terrorized remote villages.
As he so calmly, and in an “as a matter of fact” manner, described all that took place, a tear came down his beautiful face - and at that moment, I knew I wanted to help. That was all I needed, and my life has not been the same ever since.
How it Developed
I immediately wanted to lend my support to Patrick (and all the children who had been terrorized by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army). So I did what I always do, I started taking about it non-stop. I called everything I knew and shared with them what I had just watched. I spoke as if I were the authority on the atrocities of North Uganda and told everybody that I was committed to helping out.
Lo and behold, I was able to get the support of others from my efforts. Friends, family and colleagues all agreed that this was a real issue that needed support - and they were willing to provide some. They simply asked “How?”
For that, I had not answer. I was sure “how” we could help, I just knew I “wanted” to help. In looking around the Internet, for what by then had become my cause, I found very few websites that had online fundraising capabilities, and absolutely none of them were supporting Uganda (let alone the cause I was most interested in). And that is when my entrepreneurial spirit kicked in.
I met up with a local group of seed investors and discussed an idea that can best be described as “building the ‘My Space’ for causes.” Together, we molded the idea a bit - and I was fortunate enough to be amongst investors willing to take a gamble on me, and on trying to accomplish one of the hardest things to do in business: do good, and do good.
1. YourCause.com Launches
1. YourCause.com Launches
1. YourCause.com Launches
We developed a very slick, user friendly platform that ‘democratized’ giving. Anybody could subscribe, create a cause page, and raise funds for the charity of their choice. We were determined to finally develop a space on the web that had the ability to support any charity, no matter how big or small. We were the "MySpace" of causes!
2. We Try Everything
1. YourCause.com Launches
1. YourCause.com Launches
We solicited celebrities, had newsletters, email campaigns, called family, friends, and anybody who was willing to listen. We just needed page views, as it was page views that would allow us to deliver advertisements; which supported our expenses; which allowed us to never take a fee for each donation. Despite our efforts, we simply could not figure out how to make it work (financially)
3. Our Magic Meeting
1. YourCause.com Launches
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
Through our angel investor, I got a meeting with a massive company (locally) and have every intention of trying to “give YourCause” away - as we were just running out of money. At that meeting, which I now refer to the ‘magic meeting,’ I learned that big companies would be willing to pay us to deliver this sort of service for their employees!
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
After our magic meeting, things started rolling for us. We networked, collaborated, remained flexible, and pushed forward with any company that was willing to listen. And it worked! We started getting more clients, more traction, and modified our platform to provide needed services for corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.
5. Staying True to our Values
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
5. Staying True to our Values
No matter how enticing it would have been; no matter what my competition was doing; and despite the popular advice from the investment market, we maintained the model that we believe got us to where we were: 100% of all donation go to the non-profit. Our business model was NEVER predicated on taking a portion of the donation (as a fee).
6. Getting Called out
4. Harnessing the Opportunity
5. Staying True to our Values
And as we were growing, and as the knowledge of our business became more apparent to my children, my eldest asked me: “So Dad, what have you done to actually help Patrick?” Her question froze me - and really hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been spending all my time speaking about how I was inspired by Patrick, and as such, had built a product/platform that was successfully helping nearly a million employees give nearly a billion dollars to more than 100,000 charities. Yet, what had I truly done for Patrick?