#CLTstartups

Founder Mike Spencer on Doing My Part’s start, growth, and success as a crowdsourced platform for local giving

Posted on 3 Apr 2013 by Mike Spencer

We were focused.  Young, hungry, driven — working tirelessly to be “successful”.  Similar story. But, through this chase came the realization: that’s was not what we wanted at all.  After years of education and jobs to simply make more money, we suddenly realized our plans were lacking something. Purpose.

The empty, nagging feeling lingered. What was our purpose? Shouldn’t we be doing something more meaningful? If we don’t do this, what would we do? Is this all there is?

These are the questions that began doingmypart.com.

Overcome with ideas and possibilities, the whiteboard in our apartment quickly became black.  A brand name emerged that had come to represent something that we stood for.   A positive culture, and new opportunity and a world where anyone can make a difference.

We didn’t know who needed help the most, and we didn’t care. We wanted to help them all.  Veterans, homeless children, families dealing with cancer, natural disaster victims, clean water projects, abused and neglected children, education programs and more. They all deserved a chance and we were gonna find a way.

“What if we found projects to help people and families that made it ridiculously simple for everyone to help out?!”

“I like that”

“What if everyone could “do their part” for charity?”

“YES!”

“Okay, for $3 … no, $3/month!”

“YES!!”

“Then we can show our progress on video for the world to see?”

“Whoooa!”

And just like that, in a 3^rd floor Camden apartment in Ballantyne, Doing My Part was born.

Today, we’re on a new journey. This time it’s different. It’s no longer about the income, it’s about the impact.

Fast forward through the legal and paperwork mumbo jumbo, the trademark and the website development, doingmypart.com was introduced to Charlotte, NC in in July of 2012.

Since then we have…

• Given 150 local homeless children with new shoes and socks, backpacks and school supplies
• Given a child who lost his home and his father a $1,000 college scholarship
• Produced an event that resulted in 5 full college scholarships for children with incarcerated fathers
• Raised $1100 of a $1500 goal for a veteran couple who lost their home and son in a house fire

All of this has been done $3 dollars at a time.  As you read this, we have projects in queue; people in need, waiting for us.  each and every one of us, to do our part.

Every new community member is a celebration as 210 individuals are now “doing their part” for $3/month.  It’s so simple:  The more people that do their part, the more lives we can impact.

So, what are future plans?

Our 5 year goal is to reach 1,000,000 people doing their part, to build ‘Doing My Part’ into a household brand; a standard for today’s conscious global citizen.  Think “life is good” with a charitable fundraising model, mixed with Extreme Makeover Home Edition and HULU.  An brand that engages, entertains, builds our communities and encourages service and unity for all.

$3 at at time, one project at a time, from now on.

Doing My Part, Inc. receives tax exempt 501c3 status in April of 2013 and will be taking this grassroots effort to a national scale.  Through fundraising support from local and national foundations, corporations, private donors, crowdfunding efforts and sponsorships we’re building a sustainable positive impact brand that will last: Doing My Part.

In our connected world we all have a conscious decision to make. To become part of the solution, or stand by and leave it to someone else. We believe that when given the chance, people will help each other. So, our purpose is now clear: to give everyone a simple way to become part of that solution, by doing your part.