$1m of TED Money
100% of the profits from TED2003 were divided, by delegate vote, between three major global causes:
Clean Water
Public Health
Ocean Conservation
100% of the profits from TED2003 were divided, by delegate vote, between three major global causes:
Clean Water
Public Health
Ocean Conservation
Since November 2001, TED has been owned by the Sapling Foundation, a private, non-profit foundation funded by Chris Anderson in 1996. Each year the profits that TED makes are contributed to causes consistent with Sapling's goals. Here is a report on how the $1m raised from TED2003 were spent.
For more on the background to Sapling, read on...
To offer help where it is most needed by leveraging the power of ideas, technology, media and markets.
The majority of the projects we support are in developing countries, as these projects yield the greatest social return on investment. The need is so great in the developing world relative to the developed world, and a dollar goes so far, that the impact per dollar (well-) spent is substantially greater.
Put another way, we focus on people on the bottom two levels of Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs: those experiencing basic needs for food, water, housing, health, safety. For these people, a small gain in economic well-being, makes a huge difference to their experience of life. (Further up Maslow's heirarchy there appears to be little or no correlation between economic improvement and happiness, hugely ironic given the western world's obsession with economic growth, but that's a whole other story...)
With two billion of the world's people living on less than $2/day, it is clear that there's a great deal to be done to alleviate this crushing poverty and the myriad of health, social and environmental ills that accompany it.
What about the environment? The Sapling name seems to imply environmental concern. Absolutely. Preserving a healthy global environment is an essential precondition for every other effort to secure a better future. We won't support projects that cause environmental damage and we are enthusiastic about innovative ideas to preserve and protect what we have. The foundation's name was indeed inspired by a passion for the environment, and also by the idea of the foundation steadily growing into something that could one day have an impact.
The common themes running through the projects we support are leverage and sustainability. The basic idea here is to find ways for our money to make as much impact as possible over the long-term. A project that can scale to reach many people, is replicable, utilizes existing infrastructure and positively impacts human health, the environment and the economy is far more attractive to us than one that reaches a few people, is effective in a specific environment, must be built from scratch and improves the economy at the expense of the environment.
We seek projects that offer jobs, not handouts. Food production, not food. Information and communication to support efficient markets, not subsidies. Empowering tools such as education, microfinance and access to information, to name a few, have a chance of having a lasting impact. In addition, we like endeavors with a revenue model to cover some or all expenses.
Leverage is anything that will increase the impact of what we do. Most forms of leverage are based on the power of ideas. Ideas change behavior. And sometimes ideas can spread like wildfire, making a massive impact. Sapling focuses on ways of fanning the flames—in four different ways:
The best examples of leverage are so successful they get copied, creating a powerful second order effect. Those are the ones we are most excited about.
One of our favorite public benefit organizations is Population Communications, International (PCI), headquartered in New York City. PCI uses the power of story-telling, via television and radio soap operas to change attitudes and behaviors all over the world. They support a hugely popular TV soap in China, with the key theme of valuing female children and the objective of reducing female infanticide. In Bihar, India they support a radio soap, currently in development, that we hope will drive traffic to a recently launched franchise of health-care clinics, with objective of improving the quality and breadth of services offered in rural areas, particularly to women. You can get from them a copy of the study, performed by a third party, that shows the increase in the demand for family-planning in Tanzania after their radio soap aired there.
Another organization, that received a grant in 2000, is Dos Margaritas, focused on conservation, education and sustainable development in South America and starting in rural and magnificent, Patagonia Chile. The program there, now in its fourth year, has just graduated 17 local youth as eco-tourism guides. They are trained in either Earth, Water or Logistics and now can be active and very visible in the fast growing tourism business in the region while promoting appreciation and protection of their native paradise! The school has a strong social and agriculture program outreach program as well. The locals are embracing their place and the chance to improve their lives. This spectacular region is full of wonderful adventures in fly fishing, kayaking, rafting and hiking. The guides have work now with tour companies. The school is in full swing and the threat to the forest, local people and river is reduced and ever present. The school has become an important and accepted member of this community that the locals call 'a landscape painted by God.'
TED was acquired by Sapling in November, 2001, and from the Foundation's perspective TED is both an important financial investment, and a powerful forum for the exchange of ideas that matter. TED has often showcased ideas that are literally capable of changing the world. Given our deep belief in the power of ideas, we think there's a great fit with the foundation's goals. In any case, all future financial proceeds of TED will go toward advancing those goals. We will make available to any TEDizens interested the details of the projects funded by each TED conference.