After writing People Want to Follow People, I kept having this nagging sensation that I had left something important unexplained (or under-explained). And it didn’t take long before I recognized it.
People want to follow causes.
Think about It
As I mentioned in the other post, people want to follow vision and purpose more than they want to follow people. Vision and purpose are what make a cause, but they generally don’t live on their own.
Some organizations are a cause—like TOMS or Project 7. Some organizations point people to causes—like the American Red Cross or World Vision.
Ultimately, causes can’t live on their own and require people or organizations to point to them.
It’s Generational
The idea of giving money or time to a cause aren’t new. But the millennial generation is growing up in an increasingly global world and in an economy that has disposable income, and that pair has created the opportunity for unique cause-giving.
The reddit community has several subreddits dedicated to cause-giving. One such subreddit (r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza, aka RAOP) allows people to send pizza to families who don’t have food or can’t afford it.
The internet is littered with causes like RAOP. Just look here or here or here. It’s the new way that people are making a difference.
This I Believe
People want to follow causes because people want to help.
People want to follow causes because people believe that everyone deserves an opportunity at a healthy, happy life.
People want to follow causes because people—at their core—are good.
Ian Philpot 