Become a giving business with Buy1Give1 and transform the world

Let me preface this by advising you that my only connection with Buy1Give1 is as a customer, and as someone who has grown to love the company and its founders, Paul Dunn and Masami Sato. I love them despite having met Paul in person only three times and Masami not at all, and despite not knowing whether it's even considered possible to love a company. I love them because their every action and very existence are serving to make the world a better place, and because they inspire me to make the world a better place.

And, to make things even better, they give me -- and you -- the tools to make that happen.

Buy1Give1 is an organization that facilitates transaction-based giving: where charitable giving is directly triggered by purchases. In Missing Link, for example, a client spending $200 with us triggers a day of speech therapy for hearing-impaired kids in India.

We chose that worthy cause because Missing Link's purpose for existence is improving understanding in the world, but B1G1 has nearly 700 different worthy causes you can choose from, with donation increments as small as US$0.01. MiniMonos, a virtual world for good green kids, provides clean water for children. Falcon Training, a company that offers exam preparation courses for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, gives school supplies to children in India. Whatever your mission, there's a cause to match.

The folks at B1G1 only work with charitable organizations that meet certain criteria -- they have to have minimal overheads, and they have to be able to demonstrate that the donation increment actually provides the associated benefit. We pay B1G1 a flat yearly admin fee ($395), and then 100% of the money goes directly to the worthy cause -- no clipping the ticket. And everything is automated and self-serve and can be done in moments on their website, or you can pay the cause directly if that's what you prefer.

When you see Paul speak, there may a part of you that wants to be skeptical. He's enthusiastic to the point of giddy. He talks openly about love, and about the heart, and about our power to transform the world. He may even tear up a little. And, because these actions are emotionally challenging when we're in 'business mode' (or sometimes even when we're not), you might wonder: 'Is he trying to manipulate me? Do I need to protect myself?'

He is not. You don't. He is totally, utterly, incredibly genuine. He is phenomenally generous, and always gives before he receives. And his way of being gives businesspeople the freedom to shift to a new conversation: one about love, and about the heart, and about our power to transform the world.

Paul Dunn is worth your time whether or not you have any inclination to join B1G1, and whether or not it would even be appropriate for you. He will remind you of your higher self. He will remind you that it's okay to be your higher self in every environment. He will make you laugh, and he will possibly make you cry, and he will without a doubt make you think.

Preston Phillip-Clarke said: 'Paul not only shifts the boundary of what’s possible — he blows an irreparable hole in it.' I agree with that, and I challenge you to find out how you feel about it.

Paul will be speaking in the major centers in New Zealand at the beginning of February. To register, just click on the appropriate link below. Please go hear him -- and then come back here and let me know what you think. It's a discussion I really look forward to having with you.

Christchurch Convention Centre, February 1

Duxton Hotel, Wellington, February 2

Rydges Hotel, Auckland, February 3