Andy Choi is the founder and CEO of Do Good Points, a digital platform that's working to bridge the gap between nonprofits and individuals seeking to make a difference in the world. Andy never imagined starting a business in the social impact space, but starting Do Good Points felt like answering a calling to give back. Do Good Points is a loyalty program that allows members to earn points through small actions, like sharing information on social media, which then convert to monetary donations toward causes that align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This helps to drive nonprofit growth while making it fun and easy for people to discover organizations and donate. 

Today Andy joins the show to discuss what inspired him to start a business in the nonprofit world, his intention to break down barriers between intention and action when it comes to doing good, and how we can support nonprofit organizations that are struggling due to the pandemic. Andy reflects on how micro actions and one-on-one conversations add up to create a collective impact, and using technology to help charities appeal to younger donors, as well as thrive in a bigger ecosystem together, rather than competing for limited grants and resources. You’ll hear about the ROG (Return on Giving) philosophy at Do Good Points, changing the narrative around doing good as a business, why mental health is a cause so near and dear to Andy’s heart, and his uplifting insights on redefining ourselves for the better as we re-enter the world following the pandemic. You can learn more about Do Good Points, and how they can help you give with the most impact, at DoGoodPoints.com.

For more information, and other episodes on companies and entrepreneurs who give back, please visit TheGiveBackModel.com. That’s where you can also let Christine know about companies you’ve found that give back, and check out The Give Back Model merchandise, where $5 for every hoodie sold goes to charity. Thanks for listening!

Episode Highlights:

• Andy Choi was initially working in digital marketing at a big tech company
• Do Good Points started as a side hustle, and felt like answering a calling to give back
• He noticed big companies incorporated giving back during the holidays, and started to wonder why they couldn’t do this on a regular basis
• One of the main goals of Do Good Points is to break down the barriers between intention and action when it comes to doing good
• Everyone wants to do good, but tend to put it off until they have the time or money - Do Good Points removes those barriers and encourages people to give from what they have today
• Members earn “Good Points” through micro actions like learning or sharing on social media - once they earn enough Good Points, this converts into an actual cash donation toward causes that align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
• This allows you to make a charitable donation without spending a single dollar
• COVID presented many challenges to the nonprofit space, including Do Good Points and the causes they support
• Now that we are finally easing out of “Survival Mode,” we can start to focus elsewhere and help those who are really in need
• We can all take small steps to help solve problems in the world - micro actions add up to something bigger
• Andy believes in effective altruism - How can we use our resources to make the most impact? 
• Scarcity mindset in the nonprofit world - organizations are competing for grants and a finite number of resources
• Andy believes the market is big enough so everyone can thrive rather than compete against each other
• Do Good Points uses technology to their advantage in helping to address this problem
• Also helps to appeal to younger population of donors
• “Return on Giving” is similar to the idea of “Return on Investment” - through Do Good Points, you can feel good knowing your donation is going to make the most impact
• Changing the narrative around doing good as a business - it’s necessary to spend money on marketing and other administrative costs so that charities can attract more donations and make a bigger impact
• Big change and social impact starts with one-to-one conversations
• This helps change the narrative around philanthropy
• Mental health and mental illness is a cause that is near and dear to Andy’s heart
• It’s important to check in with loved ones and ask how they’re really doing behind closed doors
• Don’t wait to have these conversations as you never know what someone’s going through, and it makes all the difference to show you care and support them
• As we re-enter the world following the pandemic, we can use this as an opportunity to redefine ourselves for the better and leave behind old patterns

Quotes:

“Honestly, Do Good Points wasn't a business that I pursued. It was more kind of a calling.”

“I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit.”

“I was like, Why do we...only do this during the holidays? Why can’t we support nonprofits regularly? And I had those resources. I had those connections.”

“The idea honestly was like, What can I do today? Why do I have to wait until the next holiday season? ...There was an opportunity here - I can do some good.”

“Nothing happens if nothing happens.”

“One of the central missions of Do Good Points is to really break down the barriers between intention and action. I inherently believe that everyone wants to do good, but it's just, When I have more time, or, When I have more money. But honest reality - there's never enough time and there's never enough money. How can we give from what we have today?”

“We're not defined by our intentions. We're defined by the choices and the actions that we take.”

“We want to be the starting place to doing good… Whether you want to connect to a social cause or organization, we want to be the largest database and marketplace where you can do that.”

“As you take actions, micro actions, like learning, sharing on social media, you earn what's called Good Points. Once you earn enough Good Points, the only thing you can do with it is convert them into an actual cash donation.”

“We’re the first platform where you don't have to spend a single dollar in order to make a charitable contribution. Just by engaging, just by learning and sharing, and helping spread the knowledge and doing good, you're able to participate in philanthropy, participate in social impact, or whatever else it might be that really speaks to your soul.”

“Our goal is not to just be another nonprofit or social enterprise, but really empower and serve the greater industry.”

“We're coming out of the pandemic. We're still fighting through it, but things are opening up. And now we’re looking into, How do we participate in the recovery? How do we serve the most vulnerable?”

“We don't need to wait for the holiday season, we don't need to wait for another social justice movement in order to get fired up. There are people that are in need on a daily basis.”

“All of us always assume that there needs to be this big act. But it's the small things mostly in life that add up to something bigger.”

“That's our approach - How do we create an ecosystem in an economy that really thrives, rather than compete against each other? Competition to some degree is always healthy, and it's great, but not when it's coming at the expense of doing good.”

“Over 50% of nonprofits do not have a marketing or a communication plan, meaning websites, Facebook pages, whatever. There is no system to manage that."

“It's kind of our secret sauce. But it's not a secret. It's Return on Giving, just like Return on Investment. How do we really change the narrative in regards to the business of doing good, because it is absolutely a business… I think the narrative behind money and nonprofits is just hugely out of context. People are like, Oh, they shouldn't spend money on marketing. It's absolutely necessary that you do that. It's just part of business - you invest money into growing more money or more market shares. It's just the objective is different. Instead of selling a product, like a t-shirt or whatever it is, it's social impact.”

“Return on Giving is literally investing into the future growth, and having compounded Return on Investment for nonprofit and social impact, rather than just the business model of, Spend everything and then just raise more money again.”

“What keeps me up at night is just there's just so much work to be done. There's so much work to be done. And I think conversations like this, I look forward to, because I believe in the one-to-one conversation. I believe that small movements and changing narratives - it starts with us having a simple sit-down conversation.”

“I think this next generation - there's a huge opportunity to really change the narrative in regards to philanthropy, in regards to social impact and how we give, and how we can make that a part of consumer behavior...and utilize technology and all of these resources that we have for good.”

“Mental illness is a silent killer. It's the one that we don't talk about.” 

“I think we can just start by asking people how they're really doing. Like, how are you really doing, behind closed doors? I'm part of this small group at my church… We have what's called a Small Group Check-In, and we ask each other, How goes it with your soul? It's not like, Hey, how you doing? It's like, Hey, how's your soul doing?”

“It's okay to have those conversations, especially with the people we love. Don't wait to have those conversations. Be proactive. Because we never know what someone's going through. We do know what it feels like to know that someone else cares. We're always longing for that.”

“I see what it took, the sacrifices that [my parents have] made. And it's kind of come full circle for me being in this industry.”

“Let’s participate together.”

“With the pandemic, as things open up, there's a window of opportunity to really define ourselves differently. The constant thing that I'm hearing is that people are like, Let's go back to what was normal. It’s like, let’s not. Let’s look forward to what’s next. Let’s change what we can change. Let’s be better. Let’s do good. Let’s be better, whatever that is for you. But to really challenge yourself to not go back to old ways or old patterns, but really define yourself and be excited for what lies ahead.”

 Links:

 The Give Back Model website TheGiveBackModel.com

 Follow The Give Back Model on Instagram @thegivebackmodel

 Do Good Points website DoGoodPoints.com