For more than a dozen years because I said I would has been helping people make and keep promises to change their lives for the better. The organization grew out of comments that our founder, Alex Sheen, made while giving the eulogy for his father. What Alex admired most about him was that he always kept his promises. On that day Alex handed out what he called “Promise Cards” to everyone at the funeral – white business cards with the words “because I said I would” at the bottom. His hope was that people would use them to remind themselves of the importance of our commitments – for example, writing down something like, “I will stop drinking” or “I will exercise every day.” If it was a promise made to another person, then people could give that person the card and retrieve it when the promise was fulfilled. He offered to send these cards to anyone in the world at no cost to them. To date we have sent out 15.2 million of these cards, for free, to people in 178 countries. During this time our now CEO and Founder, Alex Sheen, became a 5-time TedTalk speaker, sharing his message of the power of keeping promises with millions of people globally at schools, colleges, conferences, and conventions. The organization has grown from a card-distributor to a mental health program provider. Since 2018 we have started chapters in high schools across the country that reinforce practical skills like accountability, honesty, and goal-setting. During 2024, 680 students have participated in these in-school programs. We also have over 30 programs in correctional facilities teaching self-control, accountability, and character development with a goal of reducing recidivism. At the core of everything we do is one word: resiliency. What does it take to keep a promise, no matter the challenge? And now, we have a 92-Acre Camp in rural Ohio where we provide free workshops and retreats to grieving families and kids, as well as free resiliency and mental health programs for nonprofit workers and community groups