Time will tell how big Josh Payne’s new charitable organization, Guys Who Give, will get. But if the past 11 months are any indication, he may have stumbled upon something very special that will help a lot of people in need.
The 33-year-old Highland Village resident and businessman launched Guys Who Give in February as a no-hassle way to bring like-minded guys together to give back to the community they love by supporting other local charities.
Though the launch has been handcuffed slightly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced them to meet virtually rather than in person, they’ve still managed to grow to 12-15 active members.
Along the way, they’ve raised roughly $5,000.
“We are specific to Highland Village and are still very much in the growing phase, but we’re gaining traction,” Payne said. His goal is to reach at least 100 members. “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do. We’ve proven that if a small group of guys can make this kind of impact, then there’s no reason that we can’t do even more as we push forward.”
If the idea for Payne’s group sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
There are chapters like these for men and women all over the nation, and they are designed to bring together people who want to give back but struggle to find enough time in their day to be a part of a large charitable organization.
With these groups, there are no board members or committees. There is no complicated fundraising or financial reporting. There are also no time-consuming weekly meetings — just groups of ladies — and men — who meet a few times a year with a checkbook, a pen, and a servant’s heart.
Originally from Highland Village, Payne and his wife moved to Denver in 2016. While growing his physical therapy business out there, he came across a Guys Who Give chapter. Payne quickly joined in on the efforts and watched as the group grew to roughly 150 members while raising anywhere between $10-15,000 a quarter.
There are now 13 Guys Who Give chapters across the nation.
When he decided to move back to Texas, Payne began looking into starting a chapter of his own. What he didn’t realize at the time was that there already was a similar one for women right down the road. Lewisville ISD board member Kristi Hassett started 100 Women Who Care in Highland Village in October 2019. Her group has soared to over 125 members.
Payne immediately reached out to pick Hassett’s brain, and the results have been fantastic. Guys who Give meets four times per year, and each member commits to a monetary donation of at least $100 each time. Three charities are chosen at random at each gathering by a simple draw from a hat. A member will then have five minutes to do a quick presentation on each cause. By the end of the meeting, a winner for that quarter is chosen, and checks are written.
Guys Who Give has supported Love Thy Neighbor, Kyle’s Place, LASEY (provides legal assistance to sexually exploited youth), and the Task Force Dagger Foundation (assists wounded, ill, or injured US Special Operations Command members). More charities will be added in the coming months.
“It was exciting to find someone like Kristi who is building her own organization and making a tremendous impact in the process,” Payne said. “We’ve chatted a few times, and it’s been an inspiration for all of us guys who want to do the same thing. It was a great experience being a part of this while in Denver, and now we get to do the same thing here.”
He added, “We want to support the smaller organizations who are finding ways to make a big impact.”
For more information about Guys Who Give, including tips on joining or inviting others, contact Josh Payne at [email protected] or on Facebook.
.jpg)
