Would You Give Two Bucks to Save a Life?

Saving lives is easier than you think. You don’t have to be a superhero with a cape or earn a medical degree from Harvard in cardio-thoracic medicine to be a lifesaver. All it takes is two bucks and a habit of giving.

This inspiration comes from our favorite personal development keynote speaker James Clear, the bestselling author of Atomic Habits. James famously says: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” So when it comes to giving and charity, it’s no surprise that James has established a successful system to save lives. James donates five percent of all of his income (e.g., speaking fees, writing royalties, and consulting payments) to support the Against Malaria Foundation (AMF).

What is the AMF?

Like the title implies, the AMF saves lives by preventing malaria deaths. Since 2003, the organization has bought millions of nets to help prevent people from contracting malaria. According to the site, over 400,000 people die each year from this preventable disease. More than 70% of these malaria deaths are children five and under, and it’s the number one killer of pregnant women. For every 100-1,000 nets placed over “heads and beds,” one child’s life is saved.

How much does it cost?

Don’t worry. To save lives, you don’t have to donate 5% of your total income. All you need is two bucks and a desire to help people. If you have two bucks burning a hole in your chinos, consider giving it to the AMF.

How to donate?

So far, over 221 million dollars has been raised and over 102 million nets have been purchased. If you’re interested in donating, find out how on the AMF website. Or if you’re interested in learning how to develop your own system of giving, check out James’ book Atomic Habits on Amazon. Be sure to use smile.amazon.com so that .5% of the price of your eligible purchase will also go to the charity of your choice.

If you’re worried where your money is going, rest assured 100% of the money raised from donations goes to saving lives. All money is used to purchase life-saving nets. These long-lasting insecticidal nets are the most effective means of protection against mosquitos and the nets only cost $2. 

It doesn’t take a lot to save a life. Just a couple of bucks and a habit of giving.


Kyle Crocco is the Chief Creative at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a UC Santa Barbara graduate, and lead singer of Duh Professors. He regularly publishes business book reviews, personal development insights, and thought-leadership articles on MediumBusiness 2 Community, and Born 2 Invest.