My favorite superheroes are the ones that can pass for everyday people. All the while, under the surface they hold the power to change the world. Something about ordinary people having an extraordinary impact always captivates me.
A high school misfit who clings to any surface and shoots webs from his wrists after being bitten by a radioactive spider. An aspiring WWII draftee, too small to be accepted by the military, who ends up becoming a super soldier. A former high school cheerleader diagnosed with a rare condition, robbing her of her freedom and mobility, who will always get back up when she falls down. Wait… you don’t recognize that last one? You should.
Kenze Messman is just one of the hundreds of lives theCHIVE community has changed in a big way over the years. Leo and John started this website 10 years ago with the simple goal of entertaining their friends. What started out, for many Chivers, as a 10-15 minute escape from the daily grind developed into a tight-knit community of do-gooders. Helping out the underdogs became a calling card of what many would soon call “probably the most generous community on the internet.”
As the 501(c)3 nonprofit that directs our charitable efforts, Chive Charities has always been the underdog charity fighting for the overlooked causes theCHIVE community rallies around. Here is a look back at the impact that you’ve had over the years, as seen in the Chive Charities Annual Report.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Editor’s note: This post is not meant to gloat on Chive Charities’ accomplishments. When we created Chive Charities, one of our main goals was to be different than the charities we saw everywhere else. We wanted to be completely transparent. If you give $1 or $100 to Chive Charities, we want donors to know exactly where those dollars are going. It’s the reason we release a new recipient story each week – to show you your impact. No one wants to give to a fund only to see those dollars disappear into oblivion.
