Doc Compton’s “Need It, Keep It” Chain Letter Makes Giving a Viral Sensation

Doc Compton, of McKinney, Texas (a Dallas suburb) has created a chain reaction in giving that starts with a single dollar.

You know those scammy chain letters, insisting that if you send $1 to one person on the list, you’ll receive $50 from other people in the chain? Doc Compton’s mission is pretty much the exact opposite of that: he’s been passing out letters to strangers with a single dollar bill enclosed, asking them to pay it forward.

“If you need it, keep it,” the letter says. Otherwise, simply pass it on to someone else who could use the money—and, if you’re able to, add a dollar of your own to the envelope.

The “Need it, Keep It” chain letter is the McKinney, Texas entrepreneur’s attempt to make the act of giving go viral.

“There are so many things that go viral, so many inane things with no social impact,” Compton told The Dallas Morning News. “I thought, ‘What if we could make something like this go viral and get big and in so doing change some people?’ It’s not about the money; it’s not about whose hands the money ultimately lands in. It’s about the hands along the way that get to experience the gift of giving.”

Compton came up with the idea for the letter last month, after giving $10 to a couple who couldn’t afford to buy their lunch, and recognizing the impact that had on both him and the couple. But six years ago, he was on the receiving end of an amazing act of generosity.

In 2004, Compton got divorced. Not long after that, he lost his job as an investment banker. “It was pretty grim at my house,” he said.

But that Christmas, an acquaintance pulled up to his house with a car full of gift-wrapped presents for his children, and one gift for him: an envelope containing $2,500. She told him that she’d told others about his story, and they’d all donated money to help him and his children have a good Christmas. From that day on, Compton vowed to pay that kindness on to others.

Even though a single dollar isn’t enough to change most people’s lives, the act of receiving it can have a huge impact on struggling individuals, such as Tracy and Darrell Bruce, a couple who’ve been approached by Compton. Both Tracy and Darrell had been laid off in the last year, and were struggling to find the money to pay their mortgage. Compton’s gift was a serendipitous surprise.

“The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘I want to give you money with no strings attached,’” said Tracy. “Before I even opened it, I had tears in my eyes.”

Even though the dollar itself wouldn’t go far, she took it as a sign that everything would be okay—and she’s saving it for the day that she can add to the envelope and pass it on to someone who needs it even more.

So far Compton has passed out 100 envelopes containing his message and a dollar bill, and he’s hopeful that the recipients will keep the chain going. But the giving momentum is already growing: he’s created a website with the letter’s text, so that individuals can pass out their own “Need It, Keep It” letters.

Already, a visitor to the website’s guestbook has written to say that the letter has been translated into Dutch, and is spreading throughout The Netherlands. Sounds like Compton could have a worldwide phenomenon on his hands.

Want to get involved? Check out the website and the Facebook page.