Our Pledge:

 

For those of us that are fortunate enough to be asked to sign the Giving Pledge, the commitment is easy to make. We have so much more than we could ever possibly use or need, that giving is relatively painless.

But for the vast majority of people who are tirelessly devoted to a particular cause; devoted to making the world a better place – giving is hard. When you’re barely able to pay the bills, every dollar matters. When you’re working around the clock and raising a family, every minute counts. Yet, remarkably, people still find a way to give. Whether it’s writing a check in whatever amount they can afford, or volunteering to serve on a committee, people somehow find a way. It’s this spirit that has always inspired me and my wife, Liz, to give.

Actually, Liz didn’t need much inspiration. She has been a professional philanthropist since practically the moment she arrived in this world. Helping others was in her DNA, having lost her sister to cancer when she was five years old, and being confronted head-on with such extreme helplessness. She and her family know firsthand what it’s like to pray for a cure to a terrible illness; and unfortunately they also know what it’s like when those prayers go unanswered.

So our desire to give has always been there, but our ability to give has changed dramatically over time. As fate would have it, my entrepreneurial path led me to the internet in 1999, which was a bit like being a 2nd generation panner in California during the Gold Rush. For the next ten years, I was fortunate to be able to start and grow a bunch of technology companies. With a combination of timing, instincts, and incredibly talented people all around me, most of those companies did well. And then, with a similar stroke of luck, I was again in the right place at the right time when the idea for Groupon was born; an event which only compounded the success I was already so undeserving of.

Today, Liz and I find ourselves in the rare position to be able to help so many people; a position neither of us takes lightly. We recognize that perhaps our greatest accomplishment—with the exception of the kids we raise– will not come from businesses we’ve started, but from the help we provide to people and causes around the world. We believe, with the others who have signed this Pledge that we are truly on the cusp of life-changing achievements that will improve our collective quality of life, and have an everlasting impact on generations to come.

We try and appreciate each day how truly precious life is. We try and remember that our good fortune was and is not an entitlement. And we try and recognize that while our lives are filled with so much good fortune, there are billions of others just trying to get by.

So without any hesitation, we humbly sign the Giving Pledge.