The Giving Man Pledge
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The Sad Irony of Selfishness
By Seth Godin
More often than not, the selfish person is insecure, fearful and filled with doubt. The selfishness springs from his belief that this is his only good idea, his last dollar, his one and only chance to avoid failure. “I need this, not you,” he says, because he truly believes he’s got nothing else going on, no other chance, no hope.
Read the rest of the post at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com
2012: The Year of the Giving Man.
By Roy Spence
Let’s do this. Let’s make 2012 in Austin, TX, the Year of the Giving Man.
OK, Austin men, let’s all pick something of personal passion and purpose and give to
it. Give to it with love and enthusiasm and commitment. There is no question that our nation is struggling to find its purpose again while Americans are, for the most part, getting up each day and trying
to do the best they can for their families, companies, organizations and the communities in which they live
and work. The American people have the will and the can-do spirit to get us moving again, even if our
elected leaders are too busy getting re-elected to recognize that we find most of them self-serving, out
of touch and frankly, boring. But I digress.
So men and women, ATX Man magazine has agreed to be the central communications portal for the Year of the Giving Man. (Since this magazine is named ATX Man, I am giving a shout out to you Austin men in particular.)
Here is how it will work: During the next three months (December through February), simply state what your giving commitment will be in 2012 and send your pledge to atxman.com/givingmanpledge, where it will be posted throughout the year. I would also encourage you to challenge your friends and colleagues to do the same. Women are welcome to make the pledge, so come on, all of you wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends and admirers of Austin men, tell us what you are going to give in 2012.
This is how I plan to contribute: I am most passionate about the American Dream. The American ideal is that here in America, if you can dream it, with hard work, purpose, relentless energy and some help from mentors, you can go out there and build a business and make a living doing what you love to do. To reiterate, if you can dream it then you can do it! My heroes are the mobile vending entrepreneurs. So last year I joined
forces with RISE Global, a nonprofit program dedicated to inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs, and gave a “Don’t Do Mild” startup grant to a wonderful young entrepreneur who had to compete with hundreds of others for the most compelling new idea for a business. I have now decided that as part of the Year of the Giving Man, I am going to give another “Don’t Do Mild” grant in 2012 and help another would-be entrepreneur start his or her company.
So take up the challenge and we will all be better for it. You guys pick something, something you are passionate about, somewhere that you can make a difference. Help build a new neighborhood park.
Volunteer in schools teaching young people about whatever you love. Give to the Trail of Lights for 2012 so that next year, we can bring this great tradition back. Give your time and love to a senior or the Humane Society. Give more time and love to your family or friends. There are so many ways to give of your time, your talent and your treasure. The only requirement is that you give to something or someone you love or feel passionate about, and you have to sign a Giving Man pledge.
At the end of 2012, go to the ATX Man website and tell us how you delivered on your Giving Man pledge, or you have to fess up that you messed up.
We will join together this time next year to celebrate all of the wonderful things that have
happened as a result of the generosity shown in 2012, in this year of the Giving Austin Man. Austin men (and women), are you up to the challenge? Sign up today. Make that commitment. Let’s do some giving this year!
Join the effort and share your pledge at facebook.com/givingmanpledge.
Leave a Comment
44 Comments Received
I pledge to donate four speeches to organiztions that serve women and families who would benefit from day-to-day financial education including smart saving and spending on their Home, Food and Wardrobe. If you are involved in a charity that serves this demographic, please contact me.
Redwood City, CA
http://www.TheSavvyLife.com
Sometimes the best service is anonymous. Whether in the grocery store, on the freeway, or in the fast food line, I pledge that each month this year I will pay for a stranger behind me. I hope that those strangers will feel the spirit of giving and pay it forward.
I pledge to support more independent businesses in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area.
I pledge to continue supporting the Arts in Austin and to helping young women develop confidence in sharing their voices in music and in their even bigger purposes!
I pledge to volunteer in the community this year (particularly holidays).
I pledge to help make a difference in the lives of Austin’s deserving children. I support the Austin Sunshine Camps(http://sunshinecamps.org) and my Giving Man Pledge for 2012 is to raise enough money to send at least 10 kids to the Austin Sunshine Camps this summer. Also I want to encourage others to give back to the community as much as possible. There is nothing more rewarding than helping those in need. I strongly believe the more you give the more you will receive. Come on Austin, HELP PAY IT FORWARD!!!
I pledge to continue building my SUCCESS (Succeding Under Challenging Circumstances to Empower Self Sufficiency) Lab program for teenagers & young adults to help them identify & achieve their life goals.
I pledge to dedicate time to Austin Angels & help our non-profits GROW!
http://www.austinangels.net
To volunteer at Austin Angels every month and make ATX the best community ever!
I pledge to host at least 2 fundraisers at my venue to benefit Safeplace or Habitat for Humanity or Peoples Comm. Clinic.
I pledge to bring the ancient benefits of hatha yoga to modern medicine through research and education through PURE ACTION in austin.
I pledge our nonprofit will provide healin comfort post operative equipment for Austin’s breast cancer patients. http://www.healincomfort4achange.org
see where you $ goes for a change.
I pledge to always be true to myself and to my clients when they come to me for clothing for any occasion its always age appropriate, goal appropriate and life style appropriate. We will always be good, live good, and give back.
I pledge to volunteer once a month every month and make Austin the best community/city in the world!!
I pledge to be an even better mom to my three children and focus on raising them to be compassionate, healthy and happy young people.
I pledge to serve in one charity quarterly; Movember, Lung Association, Habitat.
I pledge to mentor the next generation coming into my profession and to give back, pay it forward all the blessing I have received.
I will raise the confidence level of professionals in Austin in 2012.
I pledge to donate time to help young underprivileged children overcome the Digital Divide by fixing old PCs and giving them to the children. I will personally do 5 in 2012 and solicit help to do more in the future.
I will meet and talk to a homeless person to find out their story.
I want to share my talent of bringing people together. I pledge to spend more time in the community helping with education and healing the economic disparities we have in Austin.
Road of Grace open house for women of abuse, addiction, single mothers.
I will “adopt” a girl from the off center’s GRRL Action.
To volunteer and help children (find an organization) in need.
Convince every fellow bachelor to donate 1 weekend worth of bar money to a local charity in the ATX area.
Workouts for charity organizations.
I pledge to take on all new challenges and become the best “me” I can to discover new avenues and inspirations that I’ve never seen.
I pledge to work harder to help children’s lives through the charitable events of NFL Alumni-Austin.
To give as a volunteer teacher.
My Giving Man Pledge is to support nonprofit efforts such as the Nobility Project & the Rise School.
I pledge to lift up my new non-profit organization Support HER off the ground. I will create a support group community & an educational component to empower men to better serve the women in their lives as they are diagnosed, endure treatments, & beat breast cancer.
I pledge to ‘Play it forward!’ and financially support The Children’s Music Foundation http://www.thechildrensmusicfoundation.org
Great idea Roy. I’m supporting this guys effort: http://www.Solutioneur.com
His name is Andrew West and he’s here in Austin. Watch his Intro video – he’s spent years finding solutions to clean affordable energy, agriculture, education, urban living and more effective charitable giving. My sense is that his solutions could put America back on track. I haven’t see anyone else create viable solutions to our most pressing problems.
Have a look. Happy Holidays and let’s all help those that are not only in need, but that are trying to change the world.
-Alex
Alex,
That’s a really nice video that Andrew West of http://www.solutioneur.com / Solutioneur Foundation but it doesn’t tell exactly what he is proposing. If he has a plan then let’s get him on the news, let’s hear what he will do. A google of what he has done in the past turns up this http://www.ssb.state.tx.us/Enforcement/files/1628.pdf which appears to be a problem with Texas state regulators & the same Andrew West over real estate / securities. It would be good to better understand what this money he wants will do and if the California state government knows that he is trying to sell high rises in San Francisco. People who buy from his organization should know up front about past issues he may have had. Good luck!
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I started a local NFP in 2011. My pledge for 2012 is to grow that organization into a nationally-recognized awareness campaign.
My Giving Many Pledge is to become a mentor to a student through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
I pledge to reinvigorate the relationships between those who create value in the world and those who benefit from it.
I pledge to give and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
My Giving Man Pledge is to 100% give up texting and driving. On January 28th I will be planting trees with my colleague and friend, Nicole for The Trail Foundation. I also will continue to support Citizen Generation through Charity Bash and Charity Ladies by making a small financial contribution to the beneficiary of each event.
Austin is a great city – filled with a few of the best restaurants and bars in the world. But take a second to step away from that scene. An open challenge to every bachelor out there – take what you would normally spend on dinner, cabs, and drinks on any normal weekend and donate that to a local Austin, TX charity. Just one of four weekends in a month. Can you commit? The proverbial gauntlet has been thrown gentlemen. Will you accept?
I am excited to be part of the Giving Man Pledge. My pledge is to give back to the community of Austin through my involvement with Impact Austin and the Trail Foundation where I donate my time, resources and talent.
My pledge is to teach my daughters about sharing and giving back to society. It will be through giving away the toys they no longer play with to children who have less. Continue teaching them about recycling so our air is fresh and our land is clean. Teach them to be gentle to animals and nurture plants. My pledge is that my children will grow to appreciate everything around them and by doing so will help others see the beauty that already exists, too.
My Giving Man Pledge is to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, and help build a house. This is something I’ve been thinking about for years and 2012 is going to be “the year of the giving Man” So I’m going to do it! I will wear my wrist band as my reminder all year. Here’s to a great 2012!