Nineteen years ago this month, B1G1 began with one very simple belief.
Every business, regardless of its size, could become a force for good by embedding giving into its everyday activities.
At that time, it sounded like a bold idea. Almost a dream.
Today, that simple idea has grown into something far greater than we could ever have imagined.
Together, our community has now created more than 400 million giving impacts around the world.
As we close our anniversary month and begin our twentieth year, I’ve taken some time to reflect on what those 400 million impacts really mean.
Because this isn’t a story about numbers.
It’s a story about people.
Behind Every Impact Is a Human Story
When we say “400 million impacts,” we’re not talking about statistics.
We’re talking about children who were able to go to school; families who shared nourishing meals; communities that gained access to clean water; people who received healthcare when they needed it most and entrepreneurs who were given an opportunity to build a livelihood.
It also means that forests are beginning to regenerate and wildlife is being more protected.
Every impact is enabled by a business action, like one invoice, one sale, one meeting and one booking.
A company joined in with one decision to make their business a little more generous than it was yesterday. And many followed because of that.
So, over those nineteen years, millions of small moments have become something extraordinary.
Collectively, The B1G1 community of businesses and people have created:
- 21,767,675 days of education
- 6,335,165 nutritious meals provided
- 6,951,913 days of access to sanitation
- 2,709,086 bricks given to build infrastructure
- 1,117,505 trees planted
- 970,539 healthcare treatments and consultations given
- 45,366 microloans supporting entrepreneurs
- …and hundreds of millions of moments that have helped create brighter futures.
Each number represents a real person, a real family, a real community and a business that chose to care.
A Year That Reminded Me Why This Matters
Honestly, the first half of this year has been emotionally challenging. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
Around the world, we’ve witnessed conflict, uncertainty and growing division. So many times, it has felt as though trust has become more fragile.
Yet while those stories filled our news feeds, I experienced something very different through the B1G1 community too.
I watched and experienced business leaders continue to show up with generosity against the odds. I saw Members supporting communities they may never meet. I listened to conversations filled not with fear, but with possibility and positivity.
I experienced expressions of kindness. And it reminded me of something so important.
Hope doesn’t begin with external events. It begins with people; within each of us..
After nineteen years, perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learned is this.
Our deepest sense of security doesn’t come from protecting ourselves from one another.
It comes from belonging with one another.
Communities built on trust, respect and genuine care create a resilience that no uncertainty can easily take away.
That’s why I believe our future prosperity must be shared prosperity. Business has an extraordinary opportunity to help build that future.
Celebrating the Leaders Lighting the Way
During our recent Business for Good Awards, I was reminded that B1G1 has never simply been about giving.
It has always been about leadership. The kind of leadership that chooses contribution over extraction,Collaboration over competition. Generosity over a sense of scarcity.
Our award recipients shared words that deeply moved everyone in the room.
"We made what felt like a simple decision in 2018 to join B1G1.
What surprised me the most was how much meaning it has given our team and clients beyond our projects."
- Neil How, Limelight Consulting, Winner, Generosity Award
"Our company has been growing organically.
And it became a natural step to say ‘how can we help our communities?’
As a team, everyone bought in quickly, so there was a very natural fit."
- Tom Vriens, Team Medical Supplies, Winner, Impact Award
"What B1G1 has done for my family is extraordinary.
And what it has done for our global family is even more extraordinary."
- Steve Pipe, Winner, Habit Award
Listening to them, I realised these weren’t simply acceptance speeches.
They were signposts pointing towards the kind of future we want to help create.
A future where successful businesses are also deeply human businesses.
Perhaps the Greatest Impact Isn’t Measured
There is one more story I’d love to share.
To celebrate this milestone, one of our wonderful members, Steve Pipe, wrote and recorded a beautiful song inspired by the 400 million smiles our community has helped create around the world.
I’ve included it below for you.
As I listened to it, I realised something:
Perhaps our greatest impact isn’t found in our statistics., It is found in what those statistics represent.
Hope, belonging, kindness ….. JOY.
The quiet confidence that ordinary people, working together, really can change the world.
Looking Towards Our Twentieth Year
As we begin our twentieth year together, I don’t simply hope we create another 400 million impacts.I hope we continue creating something even more valuable. More trust, more belonging, more caring and more businesses that prove generosity and prosperity can grow together.
To every Member, Worthy Cause, Ambassador, Partner and Supporter who has been part of this journey…
Thank you.
Thank you for believing that business can be one of the greatest forces for good. And thank you for showing that kindness is not weakness.
This is real leadership. The strength that gives us true resilience in changing times.
And thank you for giving us 400 million reasons to believe in a better future.
