How your everyday actions can have a charitable effect!

We've just launched a new initiative today with the support of B1G1, which stands for Buy 1 Give 1.

They're a global charity which allows businesses to embed giving into their everyday operations, founded by Masami Sato and Paul Dunn. We wanted to make sure our members could contribute to a more positive world as they go about their every day business. Working with B1G1 means we have been able to create bespoke 'giving stories'. A 'giving story' is where an action someone makes results in a charitable act taking place. We'll be keeping our community up to date on the impact our giving is having on a regular basis!

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If you’d like to set up your own ‘giving stories’ then you can use our referral code: BM16049. When you join through our code, 50 days of access to education are given to children in the world!

Our friend and co-founder of B1G1, Masami is the epitome of ‘the power of small’ – she may be petite but she is passionate and power-packed. She is the guiding light behind almost every project at B1G1, from product design to member events to our team culture. Having lived in and traveled to over 30 countries across 5 continents, Masami’s experiences have given her a unique perspective on life and giving. It’s no wonder that she’s so loved and admired in the B1G1 community. She kindly spoke to us about her journey starting B1G1 and what excites her most about the future, including partnering with x+why!

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Read our interview with the incredible Masami here!

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Thank you so much for your time today, Masami. We’d love to know how B1G1 started?

B1G1 started in 2007 where we imagined a world, where every time business is done, something great happens.

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What if… every time someone has a cup of coffee, someone in need receives access to life-saving water?

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What if… every time someone buys a book, a tree is planted?

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Or what if every time someone attends an event, a disadvantaged child receives access to quality education for a day or a week?

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Today, these ideas are no longer just imaginations. They are happening every single day, globally.

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Our members - businesses of all types from around the world are integrating impactful giving into their regular activities and making the dreams of others come true, as their own dreams do as well. We are so grateful for those businesses who joined us on the mission to create a world full of giving.

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We are so inspired by people who put ideas into action and when those actions have hugely positive impacts around the world, we’re in awe! What has been your proudest B1G1 moment to date?

In the world of B1G1, there are countless stories. And the most empowering stories are those of uplifted givers.

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One day, we listened to a teenage girl in Cambodia who received a scholarship to go to high school. She shared her experience in front of a group of other students and teachers. She spoke gently but confidently while visibly holding back some tears. “When my mother passed away, no one supported me to study. But thanks to the scholarship I received via B1G1, I had the chance to study,” she said. “My dream is to become a lawyer. So, I commit to study hard and come back to support my family and community.”

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In her community, it is rare for girls to complete high school education. So, getting into university is almost impossible. Many girls drop out of primary school and it is not uncommon for girls from underprivileged families to be trafficked. But when she received the opportunity, what she focused on was how she can be empowered to uplift others.

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It’s really inspiring to see how people who are given greater opportunities in life become the next generation of contributors who demonstrate the spirit of giving. And this is precisely why we do what we do. We are here to create more givers.

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What has been one of the biggest challenges you've faced since starting B1G1 and how did you overcome it?

This is a tough question!

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Over the last 15 years, we have continuously faced challenges and limitations. So, I cannot think of a single biggest challenge we faced. But some of the difficult challenges were those that were out of our control. The global pandemic was one of those ‘out of control’ issues we faced. Surging environmental issues and natural disasters that affect our members and Worthy Causes are increasing becoming challenging too.

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But overcoming those challenges together is precisely why we are here too. So, I think our response to ‘how we overcame those challenges’ is really ’together’.

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We stand by you, everything is made better when you realise you’re not alone. What do you think the future of B1G1 looks like?

Single acts of kindness can be small - members and partners of B1G1 have collectively created more than 300 million giving impacts over the years. And that is huge. On top of this, moving forward, our work will focus more on how to ‘leverage’ through the power of communities, connections and collaboration.

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We hope that together we will create a world where sustainability and equality are no longer our challenges. We hope that together we will create a world where empathy, trust, unity and generosity are abundant. We hope that together we will create a world where diversity is treasured and collaboration and long-term thinking are taken as the most important ideologies in business.

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Until then, we will continue to work together with many more businesses and help them create the positive change they want to see in the world.

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What are you excited about when it comes to partnering with the x+why community?

More businesses than ever before are thinking of (and questioning) their true mission and purpose for being in business today. The existence of a company like x+why shows us that. The question we can ask next is how we can really drive that sense of mission and purpose to create tangible and meaningful (and sustainable) change we need in the world.

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B1G1 is all about IMPACT, HABIT and CONNECTION. And connecting with networks of businesses such as x+why is critical for us all to accelerate the change we need to make to ensure that we can leave the future our children and grandchildren deserve.

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Finally, what advice would you give to individuals and companies who want to create a greater impact in their own work?

We talk about ’the power of small’ all the time. This is because we genuinely believe that individuals through our small everyday actions have the power to make a greater impact when we come together. It’s easier to wish that some larger institutions and governments can solve the problems in the world because we are individually so small in the big scheme of things.

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But actually, small things are often more powerful than big things. First, if we are to take small actions, we don’t need to wait. Second small collective actions can create more holistic and balanced change than one huge action. Finally, we can make a huge change when we come together. But that still needs to start with one. So, we hope that YOUR business will start taking small actions. Right now.

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We’re extremely excited to be launching this new partnership with B1G1 and cannot wait to let you know more about our giving stories and those of our wider community, too. To be able to make charitable acts part of our every day at x+why is something we’re always going to be proud of and we’re grateful to the wonderful team at B1G1 for all that they do. Find out more about them here and get in touch with us at x+why to learn more about what a mission driven work space can do for you and your team.

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Oh and stay tuned for x+why x B1G1 events, big things coming soon 🎉

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