I was invited to help fundraise for another charity golf tournament that was organized by a good friend. Of course, I said, “Yes.” The reality? I had been to a number of these and was becoming increasingly disenchanted with the “rubber chicken” dinners and charity golf tournaments that had become the standard for fundraisers. They seemed inevitable - and everywhere - but they also didn’t spark any inspiration or connection. Effective one-offs, sure, but nothing that could create lasting impact.
But what struck me about his specific vision - on the surface, just another fundraiser in a sea of bland galas and celebrity golf tournaments - was his sharp focus on sustainability. He was looking for something that could provide life-long support to those benefiting. Now this was interesting.
The “way it’s always been done,” I realized, doesn’t track for younger generations either. They look at social impact in a vastly different way. It’s a necessity and an individual responsibility, not something that happens in a function room every month or so. But it’s also something that’s hard work to sustain in a meaningful way. There had to be a better way, then, to stimulate giving. One that’s modern, fun, social – and most importantly, sustainable.
That was the big idea: everyday giving. Everyday social impact. How could we make this happen?
PROVING WE COULD REIMAGINE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOCIAL IMPACT.
We started by diving in and thinking big. When a younger donor mentioned his need for a “lifestyle-integrated” approach to giving, we pivoted all our energy to meeting that need. And when we started hearing a similar message from brands - excitement for a transparent, personalized, high-touch and ROI-driven approach to social impact - we realized we’d found our niche.
Consider it: every day, mission-driven charities inspire support from their believers, and great brands inspire their consumers with innovative, new products and services. What would happen if we married them together, gave it a highly social edge, and enabled consumers to interact with their favorite brands through the lens of creating social impact? Soon those questions transformed into a mission, and not long after, Inspired was born.
