The Conversation That Became Seed Change Collective

It takes a little to create a lot.

That’s the opening message in my Founder video, and has been a central theme behind my “From the Founder” blog series. Behind those words are conversations that changed how I understood what it takes to make a difference – what it takes to be a philanthropist.

During my work in Africa and the Caribbean, I spoke with community leaders, often experiencing some of the most devastating circumstances, about solutions to issues such as climate, flooding, malnutrition and sea level rise. The solutions were innovative and I began to wonder, what would it take to move those ideas forward. These were people who understood their communities, knew their capabilities, recognized the challenges, and had collective ideas on how to address them. What they didn’t have was the capital nor access to the resources.

What stayed with me was the scale of the resources they described. I can name multiple projects, but the reality of it was that, when converted, there was no idea that topped $5,000 USD that couldn’t help move a community-led effort forward and create years of sustainable change.

Those amounts made me pause. The idea stayed with me when I came home. The idea stayed with me on the airplane ride. The idea stayed with me each month that I paid bills, because what we pay just to live can easily change how someone else lives. I’ve worked funding requests, organizational budgets, and initiatives where the numbers were much larger. Here were leaders describing solutions to their problems and for amounts that barely touch the surface of our everyday living.

A Question I Brought Home

Obviously, I was in no position to solve the world’s problems, or even the smallest communities…but “what if?”

I thought about the people I knew: friends, colleagues, family members, and people who cared about each other. I thought about the times that our friends were in need, and 30-40 of us came together with whatever we could to support and seeing $2,000, $3,000, or $5,000 put together in a matter of minutes. Money raised from people who wanted to contribute, even when their budgets were tight and gave what they could. It mattered.

I thought about all of the people that traveled the world, and were compelled to bring books, technology, or visit the local village or orphanage because their hearts were compelled to help. And then I thought “what if?”

What if, instead of the same routine (orphanage, church, etc.), I could put your money where it will have the most impact and, having led over 100+ global partnerships, I already have the relationships. What if friend trips or travel connected to you to the impact you’ve created. What if we all gave what we could and knew that it would join other dollars towards a shared purpose. What if I built something that fulfilled that purpose? What if I could connect everyday generosity with the ideas communities were already developing?

The more I considered it, the more possible it seemed. I might not be able to provide $5,000, but a community of people could help build towards it. People with hearts for philanthropy that felt like their dollar wouldn’t help could be empowered to own their hearts as philanthropists in this world.

Building With Transparency

One thing I want people to understand, is that this organization has been a thought in the back of my mind for at least three years. Acting on it came from a period where it seems that I had lost everything I had worked so hard for. It grew in a period that I sat and asked myself, “what’s next?” And admittedly, acting on it comes with a ton of fear….fear of failure, fear of building alone, even the fear of putting myself out their as a face of an organization when I find the most comfort being the engine in the background.

However, I don’t want to let fear be the reason that people don’t follow their hearts. I don’t want people to feel less empowered because they don’t believe they have much to offer the world. The truth is, your presence is a light upon the world and upon so many others. It doesn’t take much…it just takes the intention to do something. And when we do things collectively, the scale is much larger than we could imagine. That’s the power of the collective.

Planting That First Seed

A seed that has not yet been planted in the ground has no room to grow and bury its roots. Seed Change Collective grew from conversations, inspiration, and ideas that became an organization centered on collective giving and locally-led solutions.

Our 80/20 model gives that commitment a structure: 80% supports people, 20% sustains the organization.

There are people to coordinate with, records to maintain, decisions to document, and updates to shared. As a Founder, I’m responsible for helping build an organization that can support the work consistently and account for the resources entrusted to it. It’s something that brings me joy and, more importantly, it answers the question of “What If?”

An Invitation to Be Part of It

When I think back to those conversations, I remember how close some possibilities felt. There were ideas, people prepared to lead, and a need for resources to help take the next step. Seed Change Collective is my response to that experience – my response to this mistake I made of doing nothing when I felt like I couldn’t do everything. But Seed Change Collective is also an invitation.

It’s an invitation to believe that you can be the change even with the smallest amounts. A belief that you can enter this work with what you have and make a huge impact. A belief that a dollar, connect, skill, or just willingness to share the story with someone else is powerful.

As we introduce more of the organization, and you watch the Founder Video, I want you to know the story behind it. My why, and I hope it encourages your “why” as well. Before there was SCC, there were people and their stories……I hope you become a part of those stories as well and remember….Small Donations. Big Impact. It takes a little to create a lot.