Ten Dollars at a Time

THE $10 CLUB is a group of compassionate individuals who donate $10(US) every month to be pooled together and used to fund a poverty alleviation project.

Individually, each of us may be unable to afford to make a dramatic impact on the quality of life for people across the globe. When we join forces, however, we can make a substantive, tangible, and remarkably positive difference.

That is our commitment. That is our goal.

To save the world, $10 at a time.

Can you afford to say no?

How it all began--

A Letter From the Administrator

In the summer of 2002, I attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa where, for over a week, I was bombarded with information about the depressing state of global affairs and increasing poverty the world over. One can’t help but be deeply affected at the knowledge that one billion people earn less than a dollar a day, and two billion people lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, or electricity.

As I listened to global leaders discuss the plight of the world’s poor, it became obvious that national governments move slowly, if at all, and that nongovernmental organizations are limited in their financial resources and scope of work.

So, as I grumbled in frustration in the back of the plenary room, I came up with this idea: The $10 Club. My wife has an eight year old daughter and together we have four dogs and five cats; we both work for nonprofits; we give money to Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, and make other charitable donations. As an individual I’m limited in the resources I can bring to the table for poverty eradication, but I concluded that if I could start by getting 100 people in my similar situation to give $10 a month, together we could make a direct difference of $1,000 to someone, to some group of people, somewhere in the world.

On December 18, 2002, I sent a letter to friends, family and colleagues urging them to help me be a part of the solution.

The $10 Club has been born, has established a record of success, and I ask for you to join us.

Can you have one fewer martini each month to make a difference in someone’s life? Can you pass on one CD or DVD? Get a less expensive bottle of wine at a restaurant? Wait until that outfit goes on sale? If so, you can help me try to increase educational opportunities, women’s empowerment, water and sanitation availability, health access, delivery of alternative energy, organic agriculture tools and food distribution, and biodiversity conservation across the globe.

What a wonderful holiday present to give yourself at the end of each year: a letter from me reviewing the thousands of dollars worth of projects we funded throughout the year.

The $10 Club is not a nonprofit organization (though we will incorporate soon). We maintain no staff and no overhead. Every penny that comes in from contributors goes to the projects. As Administrator, I assume all costs associated with running the project.

Please take a chance and help us make a difference. This is slowly blossoming into something special. The $10 Club has presented the world a model of independent, small-scale philanthropy that all should envy.

Thank you for your faith and participation,

Adam M. Roberts
Administrator

Visit the 2003 projects

Visit the 2004 projects