Marshall Vickness was just 11 years old when he started earning money — odd jobs around his neighborhood and a gig at the vet’s office (he wanted to be a veterinarian when he grew up). That’s also when he started donating to charity (specifically, ones that helped animals). According to Vickness, he got his philanthropic instincts from his adoptive parents, who instilled in him the Jewish concept of Tzedakah: an ethical obligation to give back. 

Fast-forward many years, and Vickness is not a veterinarian, but working as a chief of staff at a tech company in San Francisco. When he started the job in 2015, he used to take the bus to work, but soon realized it was too loud to take any work calls. So he started taking a Lyft ride every day to the office. 

In 2017, when the option to round up and donate the extra cents of his Lyft ride flashed on his screen, he immediately said yes and chose to donate to the World Wildlife Fund (aligning with Vickness’s early passion for animal rights) and then the Human Rights Campaign (which remains a round up and donate option today). 

The decision aligned with Vickness’s values: He was already donating monthly to organizations he thought did amazing work. Plus, rounding up the cost of a ride often amounted to just pennies, never more than a dollar. Vickness figured he’d never really notice the difference. 

But eight years later, Lyft found that Vickness had donated over $2,000 over the course of his time as a rider — more than any other rider enrolled in the round up and donate program. Upon learning this, Vickness relayed that he had no idea he had given so much, but was delighted to hear it. “It’s daunting, all the suffering and injustice in the world,” Vickness reflects, “but every little thing matters.” 

Marly Leighton-Colburn, the Senior Corporate Giving & Cause Marketing Officer at the Human Rights Campaign, feels similarly — and extends her gratitude to riders like Vickness. She says, “Small change from each Lyft ride creates massive change for our community.”