One afternoon I was feeling guilty for spending my entire workday maximizing shareholder value for the benefit of corporate executives and financiers, so I decided I would volunteer for something.
I searched the internet for “the best places to volunteer in the bay area” and was hit with a slough of ad results from the Clinton Foundation to Hooves and Paws. I scrolled endlessly through lists of the best places to volunteer. Many of these organizations were doing amazing things to help society, the environment, and the world, but I wasn’t sure how I could help them.
What could I actually do for these companies? Would volunteering in a kitchen or on the street really be the best use of my time?
Then I realized that the same skills I used to help businesses maximize profits could be used to help nonprofits.
I remembered Google Grants and discovered a number of for-profit organizations offering to help nonprofits manage their grants.
That didn’t feel right to me. Why should someone get to profit from what is effectively a donation to nonprofits?
Why shouldn’t digital advertisers offer their services for free?
Doctors and lawyers do it all the time.
Just because we are in the business of making a profit, it doesn’t mean that we can’t apply those same skills for good.
I called a couple of my friends and asked what they thought. They agreed and even offered to join the team.
And that’s how Adzee was born.
A simple idea to help digital professionals give back in the best way we know.
If you are interested in volunteering, please apply here: http://www.adzee.org/volunteer
Tom
