At GravityLab we take giving very seriously. We want to maximize our giving and live out our values. Each employee gets around $5,000 a year to use on a cause they are passionate about and in the way they think will maximize its impact.
The process
We don’t think giving money is enough and don’t think giving with blind faith is enough. So we make each person do a dragons den style business case with the following process:
- Explain the root problem they are passionate and the outcome they value.
- Identify the charities that are providing solutions.
- Explain that charities bottlenecks and struggles.
- They choose the best way to help them whether consulting time, money or organizing something else.
Examples of maximising ROI
David supports a charity that works with suicide prevention. When they saved a person’s life he sent them a 100 packets of lifesavers to help them celebrate the wins and keep morale high. That $30 investment boost productivity and commitment to the cause.
Mark supports a charity working with vulnerable families. He went to their offices and helped them optimize their internal processes.
Sebastien cares about the environment. He saved a charity time by implementing a document generation tool for them after they do environmental assessments at homes saving them thousands in volunteer time.
Daniel despises human tracking. So he offered free advice around marketing and fundraising campaigns. He then provided them cash to fund their next fundraising campaign would have the best ROI.
The outcome
Everybody gets to live out their values, our impact is a catalyst for positive change and we are helping others be wise about how they invest. We encourage you to not give to a big brand charity but really dwell on the ROI of your giving.
