MISSION

By working collaboratively to support charitable organizations and student groups, the UBC DOLLAR PROJECT strives to instill a sense of community, leadership, and collective growth both on campus and locally. We enable individuals to understand the need for individual social responsibility and endeavour to provide an avenue where the multiplicity of global issues can be explored.


VISION

The UBC DOLLAR PROJECT aspires to produce:
Ordinary but motivated individuals initiating change –
empowered by compassion, understanding and a desire for
a caring society that respects the dignity of life and our planet.

 

HISTORY AND WHAT WE’RE ABOUT

The UBC DOLLAR PROJECT was started by Tiffany Tong in January 2007, with the help of friends from the UBC Science One program. Together, our founding members envisioned encouraging each constituent at UBC to donate $1, thereby generating at least $56,000 for charitable causes and marking the cornerstone of societal self-agency. While this remains a concrete long-term goal, today, the UBC DOLLAR PROJECT focuses more on eliminating apathy by raising awareness and encouraging people to take the first step to become active global citizens. Our club aims to enable individuals to realize the potential that lies within each person — and by sowing the seeds of knowledge, hope, and possibility, we urge them to recognize, nurture, and tap into their ability to make a positive difference. The UBC DOLLAR PROJECT strives to change the paralyzing mindset of “my individual actions don’t matter in the larger picture.” They DO matter, and that’s why we’re here — to tell you the story of empowerment and action.

If you’d like to learn more about our club, then check out our latest video:

 

COLLECTIVE ACTION

Founded on the simple image of a pebble dropped into a pond, we at the UBC DOLLAR PROJECT believe in the power of ripples emanating from a single act — forming waves to inspire, educate, and exemplify the power of collective action. Each person has their own interpretation of what collective action is, but we like to look at it in two ways:

  1. As our philosophy: When accumulated, small acts can transform into a social movement. Change begins with a single spark.
  2. As our core value: When individuals work together to achieve a common goal, they can make a substantial impact.


SYMBOL

The UBC DOLLAR PROJECT is symbolized by a flying loon. It is integral to the club’s identity for three reasons:

  1. Collective Action

The loon represents our national currency, the Canadian dollar. This is where our club gets its name. A dollar does not have much value on its own, but many loonies put together can amount to a huge sum of money. Similarly, the UBC DOLLAR PROJECT prides itself on the power of individuals in a team. Our club is composed of talented members of various backgrounds, skill sets and fields of expertise. The success of our club is rooted on the contributions of these members, which are all invested towards our club’s mission and vision. This is how collective action was first defined, and it continues to be one of the most important cornerstones of our club.

  1. Our Inspiration

As a bird in flight, the flying loon serves as our inspiration; it encourages us to always aim high and to soar for greater heights once a goal has been achieved.

  1. Generosity

Some cultures believe the loon to be a bird of a kind and generous nature. Similarly, the UBC DOLLAR PROJECT provides financial support to charitable organizations through its many initiatives. Past beneficiaries include Youth Education Farms and RainCity Housing. Our current sponsored charity is Shanti Uganda, which you can read more about here.


AWARDS TO DATE

The UBC DOLLAR PROJECT is honored to have received the following distinctions:

  • 2009 – 2010: AMS Global Citizenship
  • 2010 – 2011: AMS Active Club of the Year
  • 2011 – 2012: Perspectives Magazine’s Top Ten Intercultural Clubs of the Year