Small Things Make a Big Difference

Sometimes, the change begins when enough people simply decide to do something.

In one of my many roles, I have the esteemed pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors of the Hummingly Foundation – an amazing nonprofit organization dedicated to education and resources that make recovery more human – helping both communities and their supporters navigate the emotional, social, and practical challenges of disaster recovery. One of the things I love about serving this Board is the heart of its Founder, Jolie Wills, and her passion for making a difference from a very human-centric approach.

As Board member and Executive Director, our mutual focus is on the best interests and sustainability of Hummingly, but one of the greatest gifts of supporting Jolie is our bond over people and impactful work. In many ways, Jolie inspires me watching her brilliance and passion execute her vision. Naturally so, when she discovered my recent founding of Seed Change Collective, she was intrigued to learn more. As I provided the overview of the organization and my heartfelt “why” behind what I am doing, she shared a story from her native land of New Zealand – a gift of a story that highlights how much collective giving and small donations can make a huge impact. So I wanted to take a moment, and share this story in this week’s edition of “From the Founder.”

In 2016, a beautiful stretch of privately owned land at Awaroa went up for sale. Two New Zealanders had an ambitious idea: what if ordinary people came together and bought it? Not one wealthy donor. Not one corporation. People.

The message was simple. If people collectively came together and donated $1.00 or whatever they could give, the community could buy the beach.

More than 39,000 people and organizations ultimately contributed over NZ$2.2 million through crowdfunding. With additional charitable and government support, the property was secured and became part of the Abel Tasman National Park – protected for the public to the enjoy.

Think about this. Something that would have been IMPOSSIBLE for almost any one of those individuals to accomplish became possible because thousands of people decided their individual contributions mattered.

This story immediately made me think of my meeting with Sadiki Bertin and Youth Education and Development Program (YEDP) last week. As one of the first projects of interest for Seed Change Collective, Sadiki and I discussed the ongoing ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and how the impacts of food insecurity, housing, Ebola, and civil unrest contribute to the displacement of women, children, and families.

Our conversation put several things into perspective – the cost to build a home would be roughly $2,400.00 USD, but more important was the purchase of land that would provide a safe space for those displaced to own, build, and establish sustainable lives. Since our conversation, Sadiki and his team have been working with village chiefs to secure land for the community project culminating in an agreement to purchase two acres for $6,000.00 and in doing so, the village would donate an additional acre.

The moral of both stories is this – in New Zealand collective effort and small donations have preserved a piece of New Zealand culture and society. Small donations. Big Impact. And in DRC, the same opportunity exists, for people to come together out of the goodness of their hearts, and support in any way necessary investing alongside people they may not know, but can change the trajectory of their lives forever. This is what collective giving looks like.

Small Doesn’t Mean Insignificant

One person may give a dollar. Another person may give ten. Someone shares the story, someone makes an introduction, a community contributes, local leaders gain access to resources, and this all happens because someone halfway around the world decided that a project, they’ve never personally seen is worth believing in. Or, if nothing else, belief in an organization like Seed Change Collective – that connects your dollar to impact creates the opportunity for significant change.

Individually, these things may seem small, but collectively we can change what’s possible.

The more I have traveled and heard stories like these working with communities, the more convinced I become that there are people all over the world who already have the solutions capable of improving their communities. They don’t necessarily need us to arrive the answers – they just need the collective support and opportunity to move an answer they already have forward. This is why Seed Change Collective exists.

This is Why Seed Change Collective Matters

When the idea for Seed Change Collective came to mind, I’ll be the first to admit, I was afraid. I didn’t think I was capable of achieving what my heart desired. I didn’t want to build something based solely on finding people capable of writing large checks. I wanted to build something where random acts of kindness, collective giving, and support reach communities and people that may never be reached. This has never been about the money, it’s about people. People coming together, people supporting people, and people thriving instead of surviving because a collective of people made the impossible, possible.

What could happen if a lot of us did a little? – That is the question I always aim to answer. That is the excitement that builds each day we grow the organization because making a difference doesn’t always begin with millions of dollars. Sometimes, it begins with just $1.00. Sometimes $5.00. Sometimes an introduction. Sometimes an acre of land. Sometimes, simply deciding that what you have to contribute is worth contributing. When enough people make that decision together, small things don’t stay small for very long.

Antoine B. Richards
Founder & Executive Director, Seed Change Collective, Inc.