A Look Back

10 years ago I heard a radio program about giving circles and had a crazy thought -- can I do that? Can I get people to donate with me? And the answer was YES! For the last 9 years a group of people who share my passion for philanthropy have been pooling their small donations, and then donating them as a team.  

The years and the contributions have added up, and with our final donation we've now donated a grand total of $102,348 to great charities around the world!!! Sometimes I’m asked about my favorite charities, but it’s too hard to choose. We’ve given to more than 100 charities in our time together!!  

It's a sad fact of life that all things, even great ones, must come to an end. And Change Gangs is no different. Our philanthropy, however, will continue. Change Gangs has exposed us to some of the incredible work being done across the country and around the world. We’ve learned about interesting projects, powerful results, and supported some charities we would never otherwise have known about. 

We have a lot to be proud of at Change Gangs, but the thing that I'm most proud of is the example we’ve set for others. Gandhi said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” The change I want to see is a world in which every single person on this planet recognizes that it’s only our actions that matter. It’s not enough to say you want a better world. You have to do something about it. And together, we’ve been doing something. And our something has added up to quite a lot.  

Thank you to all our giving circle members who made Change Gangs possible, and to all the dedicated people working hard to make the world a better place.

Start Your Own Giving Circle

Over the years, I interviewed a number of giving circle leaders and provided resources to start a giving circle of your own with your friends and family around causes you're passionate about. 

Visit Giving Circle Help to get started.

Our Guinness World Record

On February 26th, 2019 more than 60 volunteers came together to lay down 41,769 toothbrushes to break the record for the longest line of toothbrushes. The final line was 3.5 miles long!

Why did we do this? When we discovered that tooth decay is the #1 chronic childhood illness in America, we knew that we could something about this. But not alone. With a team. 

Together, we collected 17,000 toothbrushes, 16,000 tubes of toothpaste to distribute to children throughout the state of Colorado!

Where We Gave

Over the years, we supported more than 100 amazing charities located through the United States and around the world.

Pets

2nd Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue 4 Paws 4 Life Animal House Animal League of Green Valley Animal Rescue of the Rockies Big Dogs Canine Rescue Big Dogs Huge Paws Colorado Animal Rescue Express (C.A.R.E.) Colorado Pet Pantry Companion Animal Advocates Creative Acres Denkai Animal Sanctuary Detroit Dog Rescue Equine Voices Every Creature Counts Fidos for Freedom Freedom Service Dogs Great Escape Mustang Sanctuary Greenwood Wildlife Rehab Harley’s Hope Humane Society of South Platte Valley Island Dogs Izzy’s Place Kindness Ranch Longhopes Donkey Shelter Longmont Humane Society Lucky Dog Rescue Marley’s Mutts National Mill Dog Rescue No Feline Left Behind NoCo Friends of Ferals North Valley Animal Disaster Group Northern Colorado Friend of Ferals Old Friends Sanctuary PetAid Colorado Pets Forever Pets of the Homeless Pilots N Paws Red Rover St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center Street Dog Coalition

Poverty

A Home Away From Homelessness A New Way of Life A Precious Child Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County Charity:Water Deworm The World Family Promise of August Feeding America Fire Mountain Programs Fistula Foundation Girls Empowerment Network Give Directly Grassroots Reconciliation Group Hampton Healthy Family Partnership Health for Haiti Heifer International Hephziba Children’s Association Heritage Academy Homeless Gear I’m Aware International Rescue Committee Kickstart International LIFT MEND Poverty Mines Advisory Group Nuru International Project Self-Sufficiency RIP Medical Debt Running Strong The Gathering Place United Way of Northern California Waves for Water World Food Program Year Up Youth Empowerment Program

Veterans

Active Heroes Bridging the Gap DAV’s Louisiana Headquarters Dogs on Deployment Farmers Veteran Coalition Fisher House Foundation Folds of Honor Give An Hour Grace After Fire Homes for Our Troops Horse Rhythm Foundation Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Moving Veterans Forward On Behalf Of Operation Homefront Operation Song Operation Veterans Encouraging Recovery (O.V.E.R.) Our Military Kids Puppies Behind Bars Semper Fi Fund SSG Travis Mills Foundation Swords to Plowshares Team Rubicon The Mission Continues The Semper Fi Fund The Service Women’s Action Network The Warriors Heart Foundation Veterans Community Project War Horses for Heroes Women Veterans Support Services