I’m matching 250,000$ to charity. Here’s Why!
“When people talk about traveling to the past, they worry about radically changing the present by doing something small. But barely anyone in the present really thinks that they can radically change the future by doing something small.”
I grew up under sometimes difficult circumstances. My mother had me with 17, had to quit school and raised me and my two sisters on her own. For the first 19 years of my life I experienced an endless stream of unpleasant situations that had to do with money: All kinds of purchases from books to games or a computer, spending free time, going on holidays or school trips. Although it’s always been a struggle in some way, I don’t connect a lot of negative memories with it.
What I’m certain about is, that it had a big impact on my perspective. My perspective on what is achievable. My perspective on where my limits are. I started to believe that to a large extent my value and freedom as a human being depends on my financial success.
It’s 5 years later now, I’m 24 and my perspective on the topic probably couldn’t have changed more. Once I reached a basic financial security and was able to live a life full of choices, my happiness increased considerably. I felt that at least 80% of things I wanted to do I could do immediately and without worrying much. I did something I loved to do, learned something every day and always had the option to do something else.
Once the money became more and more the focus and my worth was being measured in “how much I make”, I realized how I started to lose my passion and drive for what I do.
The money I made beyond that 80%-threshold definitely changed a lot of things in my life, but in terms of personal happiness up until today I don’t feel much of a change. To me money has strongly diminishing value the more of it you own, past that threshold.
I live off opportunities and experiences. I love to see and learn new things about something I didn’t even know that existed before. But the most giving to me is the interaction with other human beings. Sharing knowledge and getting a glimpse of their individual perspective. All the experiences they made throughout their life. Their own world.
This proved to be the most valuable to me in my life so far and that’s why I will share my perspective and resources as effective as I can till the end of my life. And I’d like to make that opportunity possible for other people, because that in return gives me more than I could ever create with the money myself.
I see and considered lots of different approaches to go about it. I’ll focus on the following aspects:
- Happiness: I will try to create as much happiness for myself and the people surrounding me as I can.
- Long-Term: I will try to nurture relationships that benefit everyone involved and are long-lasting.
- Impact: I will try to manage my resources to have the best possible impact on my surroundings.
And that’s why I pledge to match your donations up to 250,000$ till the 1st of January 2018. All donations put in after 28th December, 12:00 Pacific Time will count. Please send your receipt to receiptsforcharity@gmail.com.
I was inspired by Dan Smith, Tom Crowley & Martin Crowley who matched up to 2,000,000$. I’d like to thank them for the inspiration and the help they provided me. This is the project: https://2017charitydrive.com/.
Charities: I will donate my full amount to GiveDirectly, because I really believe in the idea and execution. You can donate to any of the charities listed on https://2017charitydrive.com/ and I will match your amount.
Donating Bitcoin: https://www.givedirectly.org/give-now GiveDirectly supports direct Bitcoin donations. Send me the receipt and I will match your donation. I’ll also add my private address you can send to and a note where it should go and I’ll forward it.
Thanks for everyone who participates. And remember- even small actions can have radical impact. Your donation will have twice the value!
Let’s finish this year strong!
Fedor
