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Altruism Is Not Enough | Alex Sheen | TEDxAkron

75.1% of the population did not volunteer 1 hour to a non-profit or civic organization in the last year. Alex Sheen, founder of the social movement because I said I would, volunteered at a new non-profit organization each week for a year and provides a list of suggestions on how to make the volunteer experience more engaging and exciting.

Alex Sheen is the Founder of because I said I would, the international social movement and nonprofit dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. Sparked by the loss of his father, Alex began sending promise cards to anyone who requested them at no cost. Since his father’s passing on September 4th, 2012, because I said I would has sent over 6.64M promise cards to over 150 countries. Alex’s commitment to the betterment of humanity has inspired millions around the world. The story of his promises have been shared virally throughout social media and international news.

Alex’s promises include:

  • Walking 245 miles across the entire state of Ohio in under 10 days to fulfill a promise to the three Cleveland women who were held captive for 10 years.
  • Committing to volunteer at 52 different nonprofit organizations in a single year and honoring his word.
  • Promising children with cancer trips to Disneyland and personally delivering 100 tickets.
  • Driving through the night to deliver disaster relief aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
  • Volunteering in Ferguson, Missouri on Thanksgiving after looters destroyed small businesses.

Alex’s work has been featured on CNN, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, NPR, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, CBS Nightly News and many other programs. He has been featured on the cover of Spirit Magazine, honored as a Steve Harvey “Harvey’s Hero” and was the closing TED speaker at TEDxUtica and TEDxYouth@Austin. Alex’s efforts in social media were featured in BuzzFeed’s “Most Important Viral Videos of 2013.” Alex’s posts have made the #1 spot on the front page of Reddit.com over 10 times.

As a nationally respected thought leader, Alex spoke to over 90 organizations in 2014. His keynotes were attended by as many as 8,500 attendees in a single event. 100% of his speaking engagement fees are paid to the nonprofit. He does not accept commercial sponsorships or endorsements.

See all of our TED talks at https://becauseisaidiwould.org/ted