The power of membership: making a difference before giving
Early actions that build extraordinary impact — before the pledge funds flow.
▲ Founders Pledge members at Willow Camp, 60 in total taking their first steps on their hike.
If you’ve ever started anything meaningful – be that a company, a community or even a new habit, you know that making a lasting impact starts with small actions done consistently and purposefully.
In 2015 we launched Founders Pledge in a converted cupboard. We only had dogged intention and a bold idea – to empower entrepreneurs to contribute meaningfully to society before they even had the means to do so.
We began with small, intentional efforts. Hiring a few forward-thinking researchers, hosting pizza nights and dinners for founders, zipping around the world to as many conferences and meet ups as possible. And over the past ten years, these intentional steps have built a global community of 2,000+ entrepreneurs who have collectively pledged $11 billion to charity.
This idea of starting with meaningful and consistent progress is core to our community fulfilling our mission at Founders Pledge. In fact, we believe that meaningful change starts with a pledge. And while donating, whether big or small, to highly impactful charities remains the keystone to making a difference in the world, I want to share with you how early actions outside of giving can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
So if you’ve ever wondered how you can have an impact before you’ve realised your pledge, here are three ways you can start today.
Grow the Founders Pledge community with us
I’ve seen first-hand how one thoughtful connection from a Founders Pledge member can lead to exponential growth and millions donated to those who need it most. Some of the earliest introductions to our community were brand new to the start-up scene. They are now household names executing on lofty, transformational giving goals.
How to get involved:
We want you to help us build a community you’re proud to be a part of. If you know founders, entrepreneurs, or investors who believe that giving back is important, then please introduce them to us. If you’re not yet a member, find out how to join us here.
Share your story and experience of Founders Pledge with others across LinkedIn. When our community speaks about their pledging motivations and personal journey, it’s the very best way to showcase our value to the world. Thank you.
Explore, learn and navigate your giving journey with us
Navigating how to do the most good in the world on your own is no easy task. At any moment, there are more than 10 million charities vying for your attention and resources, so trying to decide how to make the biggest difference can be overwhelming. On top of this, the more resources available, the higher the stakes can feel.
That’s why we think it matters to get curious - early. Learning, exploring tradeoffs, and being pushed to think differently about your impact will help you reach those high-stakes moments with confidence. We’re here to pressure-test your thinking, and help you to explore where your values and goals complement or might conflict with each other – and importantly, what you can do about it.
How to get involved:
- Explore what matters and resonates with you. Talk to others – fellow members in the same seat or to our Advisory team – at any point in your journey.
- Learn from experts on how to most effectively move the needle on the issues that matter most to you.
For connection-formers: come to our dinners, lunches, retreats, meet-ups across the globe and speak to our expert teams.
For readers: delve into our blogs (for the time-short) or our research reports across AI safety, climate, education and beyond (for those longer holiday reads).
Gather and build moments with us
Some of our members’ most revelatory moments have come from our in-person gatherings. Whether this involved sitting on the balcony of a member’s home or learning about how to change the trajectory of our humanity’s future beside a log-fire in the Alps. These are spaces to share what truly matters to you, whether it’s your personal struggles or the things that keep you up at night. Carve out time to join us and play a role in helping us to build these moments.
How to get involved:
RSVP to our exclusive member events across the globe.
Or you could co-host an event or provide a unique event space - perhaps your own home or an exclusive setting you have access to.
Doing more, together
The great Helen Keller once said “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” I’ve seen this in action with the Founders Pledge community time and time again.
So if you only take one action towards impact, let it be this: meet with your Community Manager. They’re your personal connector to impact – helping you find the most meaningful way to contribute, aligned with your time, values, and where you are on your journey. You’ll know them by face and name, but if you’ve not had a chance to meet yet, email us on our community inbox.
From a simple idea to billions of dollars pledged, I’ve seen that the biggest shifts come from small, intentional acts. It doesn’t need to be grand – it just needs to start. Why wait?
PS. If you're not already a Founders Pledge member, find out how to join us here.
