I started Pepper because of a book, The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer. I remember reading the first two chapters in a bakery in Harvard Square. I had a half-eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee sitting on the table in front of me. Cost me $7 bucks.Â
By the time I finished reading I felt guilty about buying them. And by the time I finished the book I felt guilty about just about everything. The author, Peter Singer, does a great job detailing the power we have to help people in need and how even a very small amount of money, $7, can make a huge impact on someone’s life.
You may think $7 can’t make an impact on your life and you’re probably right. But for someone living on less than $1.90 a day as 40% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa do, $7 can be the difference between life and death.
From that point on I didn’t spend a dime on anything I didn’t need. It lasted 1 year and it wasn’t healthy. What did last was my newfound understanding of the power we have to help others. When your money is given to certain charities the impact can be astounding.
With Pepper I am trying to make giving easier than ever before and introduce you to some extraordinary charities. I made $10 per month the only option because it simplifies the decision around how much to give and is large enough to have a big impact over the course of one year.
I erased the need to figure out which charity to donate to by featuring four top-rated charities and making it so that your donation is split evenly between the four.
And I promise not to spam you with emails and mail. My hope is for you to enjoy giving and together, help the people in this world who need us the most. I personally donate to these charities and I am funding Pepper myself because I believe a power in numbers approach to giving will have a greater impact than any big individual donors.
It’s not just about the money, it’s about the people. I hope you will join me.
With gratitude,
Mike Filbey
“I believe that $1,000,000 from 10,000 people says much more than $1,000,000 from one.”