How often do we hear “every little bit counts?” When organizations are raising money, a common phrase is “even $1 will help; donate whatever you can.” And, when it comes to volunteering your time to make a difference, we are told “one year, one month, one day; just give whatever amount of time you can because it all makes a difference.”

I believe this; I’ve even said it many times before in various articles on the Charity Site. But to hear that a little bit of volunteering goes a long way is not quite the same as seeing how far it really goes. Now, you can see exactly how your actions impact the world when you record and track them on-line at the website “We Are What We Do.”

We Are What We Do is a London-based movement founded in 2004 by David Robinson and Eugenie Harvey. Their mission? To inspire people everywhere to commit to small, everyday actions that can really change the world. They started by putting together 100 action ideas into two books, “Change the World for a Fiver,” and “Change the World 9 to 5,” which have so far sold more than one million copies.

Today, We Are What We Do is more than just books. They conduct education programs and community campaigns, they partner with organizations around the world, and they put hundreds of speakers on the circuit to get the word out. Other books have been published, including the new “Change the World for Ten Bucks,” the organization’s first U.S. edition (I’m reading it now and will have a review for you soon.)

But probably the most impactful project the organization has taken on has been its website with the same name. We Are What We Do.com allows folks to register and create an “action tracker.” Once registered, you’ll see lists of actions that you choose. Once you select an action, it becomes an item on your tracker. Complete that action more than one time, and update your tracker to keep count. As I write this article, 3,659,564 actions have been taken.

Here’s an example of suggested every day actions that can change the world:

• Watch less television
• Give your change to charity
• Register online as an organ donor
• Spend time with someone from a different generation
• Recycle your cell phone
• Turn off appliances when not in use
• Turn your thermostat down by one degree
• If it says 30mph, drive only 30 mph
• Smile and smile back
• Take public transportation whenever possible
• Plant a tree
• Decline plastic bags
• Learn basic first aid
• Change at least one light bulb to the energy-saving kind

We Are What We Do even offers various downloads, including lesson plans to help teach children about giving back. I signed up for this valuable site, and I sure hope you do too. It’s another reminder that we really are what we do, and that our actions really can make a difference – no matter how small.

We Are What We Do
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