The Donum Chance Pledge
A promise to give another chance: to yourself, to someone else, or to a community.
There are three ways to make it: use the pledge as it is written, choose a topic and fill in the blanks, or write your own.
To yourself
A promise to yourself: that you'll get something done, that you'll try again, or that you won't give up on something until it's done.
THE DONUM CHANCE PLEDGE
A Pledge to Myself
I, [your name], on this [day] of [month], [year], solemnly pledge to give myself another chance.
I pledge that I will not be defined by my past, my mistakes, or what has happened to me. I cannot change yesterday, but I can choose what I do today.
I pledge to take responsibility for what is mine, to let go of what I cannot change, and to never stop asking myself:
What is my next step?
My next step is [my next step].
I will take that step, however small. I will keep going when I can, and rest when I must.
I will not let failure be my final answer, nor will I mistake a setback for the end of my journey.
I will be honest with myself, seek help when I need it, and give myself the patience to grow.
I will honour the chance I have given myself, not by promising perfection, but by choosing, each day, to take my next step.
On [date], I will look back and tell the truth about what happened.
I give myself another chance.
I commit to my next step.
And I will begin again, as many times as I must, until it is done.
This is my pledge. I make it freely, I make it solemnly, and I make it to myself.
Signed: [your name]
Date: [today's date]
Fill in the blanks, and your Pledge is ready. Or write your own.
To someone else
A promise to give one person another chance. It can be someone you know, or someone you haven't met, through one of our open chances.
If your promise is about someone else, you don't need to use their name: "my neighbour" is enough.
THE DONUM CHANCE PLEDGE
A Pledge to Someone Else
I, [your name], on this [day] of [month], [year], solemnly pledge to give [someone] another chance.
I pledge that I will see them as more than what has happened to them. Their past is not the whole of who they are, and it does not decide what they can do next.
I pledge to give without making them owe me anything, to respect their choices, and to keep asking:
What is their next step, and how can I help them take it?
My part is [what I will do].
I will do what I say, when I say I will. If I cannot, I will tell them honestly, and early.
I will listen more than I speak. I will help them take their step, not take it for them.
I will keep what they share with me private. Their story is theirs.
I will honour this chance, not by promising to solve everything, but by staying until their next step is done.
On [date], I will look back and tell the truth about what happened.
Someone once gave a chance to me, or to the people who came before me.
Now I give one.
And I will stay, as long as it takes, until the step is done.
This is my pledge. I make it freely, I make it solemnly, and I make it for [someone].
Signed: [your name]
Date: [today's date]
Fill in the blanks, and your Pledge is ready. Or write your own.
To a community
A promise to help a community take its next step. It can be one of our community projects, or any organisation that serves a community: a school, a clinic, a library, a water committee, a refugee-led organisation. It doesn't have to go through us. What matters is the good it does.
If you choose an organisation other than Donum, we don't check it, and the promise is between you and them.
THE DONUM CHANCE PLEDGE
A Pledge to a Community
I, [your name], on this [day] of [month], [year], solemnly pledge to help [the community, or the organisation that serves it] take its next step.
I pledge to see this community for what it can do, not only for what it lacks.
I pledge to ask the people it serves what they need, to listen to their answer, and to keep asking:
What is the next step, and what is my part in it?
My part is [my money, my time or my skill: what I will give].
I will give what I promised, when I promised it. If something changes, I will say so honestly, and early.
I will work with the people who live there and the people who run it. I will not decide for them.
I will not ask whose fault it was. I will ask what can be done, and do my part.
I will honour this chance, not by promising to fix everything, but by keeping my word until the work is done.
On [date], I will look back and tell the truth about what happened.
I give this community another chance.
I commit to my part.
And what we build together belongs to the people it serves.
This is my pledge. I make it freely, I make it solemnly, and I make it for the people this work is for.
Signed: [your name]
Date: [today's date]
Fill in the blanks, and your Pledge is ready. Or write your own.
How it works
- As it is written: choose who it's for, then add your name and a date.
- From a topic: fill in the blanks. The rest is written for you.
- In your own words: answer five questions. What happened? Where do things stand now? What is the next step? What does "done" look like? When will you look back?
Every Pledge includes a date to look back. On that date, we'll send you The Donum Chance Pledge Reminder. It doesn't include what you wrote. You tell us what happened, in your account, and you can choose a new date.
Private unless you choose
Every Pledge is private: only you can see it, in your account. If you choose to share yours, our team reads it first, the way we read stories, and it appears under your handle or your first name.
You don't need an account to make a Pledge. Without one, you fill it in, then print it or save it as a PDF, and we keep nothing of it. To keep your Pledges and get the Reminder on your date, you'll need an account. There's no password: each time you sign in, we email you a link and a six-digit code, and you use whichever is easier. You stay signed in on that device for 7 days, or for 30 days if you tick "Keep me signed in on this device" when you sign in.