Introducing the DoBand Campaign

In today’s fast paced internet world where ideas, action and start-up businesses make headlines every day its hard to separate the really good ideas from the short-lived hypes. Thanks to a team of students at Cornell University I am pleased to share one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time. The DoBand concept (www.DoBand.org) was inspired by the movie Pay It Forward, but takes the concept from the movie to a whole new level of personal involvement.

DoBand.org’s mission is to provide a platform that empowers people to do great deeds, to give to worthy causes, and to inspire others to do the same. Through two simple tools - a serialized DoBand wristband and DoBand.org - the DoBand Campaign forms a cohesive action-oriented social network.

The concept was born from the belief that giving and volunteering have become impersonal. Whether its writing a check, buying a t-shirt or sponsoring a friend or colleague’s efforts towards a cause, we have essentially outsourced our desire to make a difference. Some of us give our time and our intellectual property, but no more than a couple of times a year for most. The deed is done and we return to our daily routine until the next time. As the founders of DoBand state “Today’s social entrepreneurs reach beyond the boundaries of these institutional systems to meaningfully impact the lives of people in need. But causes that get it right often need better support and more innovative ways to engage the public.”

So what is a DoBand? DoBands are silicone wristbands—similar in looks to the old Livestrong bands which, in a year, raised over $50 Million for charity. DoBands have more than just a name engraved on a bracelet. They each have a unique serial number.

When you put on a band, you commit to doing a good deed. Once you’ve done that deed, you pass the band along to someone else. The number on each band allows you track the deeds of all who have worn your number. Log on to www.DoBand.org to check out what people are doing with your band, or browse others to get inspiration for what to do yourself!

To make your deed more personal, DoBand.org invites you to give to the charity of your choice. Browse through short HD videos from partner charities and choose a cause to support, you can “pay it forward” by giving to that charity after you do your deed. Or you can challenge yourself by setting aside a gift if you fail to complete it before a certain date. Lastly, you can let your friends, family, and the public sponsor your inspiring deed.

Pass the DoBand along to anyone who will take it far and do great things. The recipient will receive an email with information on where their band has travelled, what actions it has inspired, and how much it has raised for various causes. The band itself is durable, waterproof and easy to clean, designed for both genders, various fashions, and any generation.

After starting with a core group of Cornell students, DoBand.org has grown to include a development agency in London, a marketing consultant, a packaging consultant, a lawyer in Boston, and a support team overseas. They are in talks with various suppliers for product, packaging, print, and distribution. There's a really incredible backstory here, and the founders have been extremely successful in selling their vision to others for adoption. I believe DoBand.org is poised for rapid growth and there is room for any company, organization or individual to get involved and make a difference, first for themselves, and then for others.

The DoBand Campaign is an order of magnitude more powerful than previous bands: instead of being a static object, it actively inspires the wearer to DO something; instead of raising $1 once, it allows for generosity every step of the way. Costs are covered by the initial purchase, so 100% of online donations go to charity.
DoBand.org have put 2000 DoBands on preorder through their website for a private summer prelaunch. Each band retails for $25 and allows every future donation made with that band to go 100% to charity. It covers all startup costs then provides seed funding for the DoBand Foundation, which will fund partner charities and non-profit causes started within the DoBand network. Use the following promo code for free shipping: 4f8281

I have ordered mine and am looking at a number of ideas for my deed. If you have thoughts I’d love to hear them, but more importantly I challenge you to get behind the DoBand and come up with a deed for yourself and your loved ones. As I have stated before, a big objective of the Nomad Influencer is to encourage people to get out there and do things, to experience life and make it happen for yourself. There is no reason why you can’t combine the DoBand with a long time goal or objective like taking a trip somewhere new, trying a new experience (food, activity, place) or getting healthy. And there are no geographic boundaries to the DoBand Campaign, you can be anywhere in the world so sign up! I look forward to hearing about what you do with your DoBand!

Dream Big. Do Bigger.