Your Passion, Your Cause

Giving isn't just about money—it's about meaning. It's about aligning your heart with your actions and creating a legacy that outlives you.

Every person has a story, a struggle, or a passion that can become a force for change. Whether through micro payments, donations, or lifelong giving, your passion cause has the power to shape the world.

Finding Your Passion Cause

Your passion cause isn't just what you care about—it's what moves you to action. It's the issue that keeps you awake at night, the problem you can't stop thinking about, the change you desperately want to see in the world.

For some, it comes through personal experience:

A parent who lost a child to illness funds medical research.
A teacher in an underfunded school becomes an advocate for education.
A survivor of hardship becomes a voice for others.

For others, it comes through exposure:

Traveling to developing countries.
Volunteering locally.
Seeing injustice or need in their community.

The key is to allow yourself to be moved—to feel deeply—and then act.

My Story: From Survival to Service

After a near-death experience and six miscarriages, I was told I had only a 5% chance of having a child. Against all odds, I had my son. When he turned seven, I felt compelled to extend the gift of education he enjoyed to other children.

That's when I began sponsoring through Plan International. Month after month, my micro payments supported a young girl named Gunjara and later a boy in Kenya. Letters, drawings, and updates made the impact tangible. For ten years, while raising my son, I was also helping to raise them through education.

As an author, I've extended this into donating all my book royalties. My chosen charity is Pencils of Promise, building schools and training teachers in disadvantaged countries. Every book purchased is more than a story—it's a classroom.

And because of my family's struggles with mental health, I now donate royalties from The 8 Superpowers of Self-Discovery to BetterHelp, the world's largest online therapy platform. Every sale funds hours of free therapy for people who need help but cannot afford it.

Case Study: TOMS Shoes – Business as a Force for Good

In 2006, entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina and saw children walking barefoot. Inspired, he launched TOMS Shoes with a radical idea: for every pair sold, another would be given to a child in need.

The "One for One" model sparked a global movement. Over time, TOMS expanded into eyewear and bags, supporting sight restoration and safe births. In 2020, it evolved again, donating one-third of its profits to grassroots organizations. Today, as a Certified B Corporation, TOMS continues to prove that companies can weave giving into their DNA.

Lesson: Giving doesn't need to be separate from your work—it can be built into it.

Wisdom from Changemakers

"If you see someone without a smile, give them yours. That's how I've always lived my life, and that's how I approach my giving—sharing what I have with joy."

— Dolly Parton

whose Imagination Library has gifted 180 million+ books to children

"I had no idea that I would ever become involved in microcredit when I met those women in Jobra village. But once I saw the face of poverty, I couldn't turn away."

— Muhammad Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize winner, pioneer of microfinance

"When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope. That's why I dedicated my life to this cause—because I believe in the power of small actions to create great change."

— Wangari Maathai

founder of the Green Belt Movement, planted over 51 million trees

The Journey to Lifelong Commitment

Lifelong giving isn't about a one-off donation. It's about weaving your cause into the fabric of your life.

This could mean:

Choosing a career aligned with your values.
Dedicating volunteer time consistently.
Using your talents—writing, music, business—to serve others.
Embedding giving into daily decisions, like TOMS Shoes.

The most powerful giving is consistent, integrated, and sustained over decades.

Steps to Discover Your Cause

Reflect on Your Values – What matters most: justice, education, health, environment, equality?

Examine Your Experiences – Where has your own pain or privilege shaped your perspective?

Explore and Volunteer – Step into causes; feel which resonates most deeply.

Listen to Your Emotions – What moves you to tears or anger? That's your compass.

Consider Your Skills – Where your passion meets your ability is where impact happens.

Exercise: Discover Your Passion Cause

Take 10 minutes to journal your responses:

What injustice makes you angry?
What story of suffering breaks your heart?
If you had unlimited resources, what would you change?
What problems keep you awake at night?
Where have you witnessed transformation that inspired you?

Look for patterns. Your passion cause likely sits at the intersection of your pain, your gifts, and the world's great need.

Global Case Studies

UK: Race for Life

Thousands run annually for Cancer Research UK, often in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.

US: Chance the Rapper

Donates a portion of his income annually to fund public schools in Chicago.

Asia: Sudha Murty

(India) channels her royalties into education projects through the Infosys Foundation.

Big or small, famous or everyday—these examples prove giving is personal, purposeful, and powerful.

Your Passion Cause

Life Long Giving