David Gaz and his team at Good Virus are conducting an experiment in kindness. They’re curious to see if people can spread kindness one dollar bill at a time, which is exactly what “The Good Money Project” is all about. Using red ink and a stamp that reads, “THIS MONEY HAS BEEN USED FOR GOOD,” the Good Virus team has marked one and five dollar bills, redistributed them back into circulation, and is anxiously awaiting the results.
You might be asking yourself, what exactly are the results? Although still inconclusive, Gaz and his team hope that “The Good Money Project” will inspire giving, generosity, and of course, kindness. According to Good Virus, “The idea is to use this [stamped] money for charitable donations. We want to see if the Good Virus effect plays out with money. We’re thinking that […] once the money is in circulation, perhaps the next person who gets the bill will read the message and be inspired to spend it on a good cause too, and so on and so on…,” of the intention behind the project.
Good Virus is a small organization dedicated to spreading kindness the way that sicknesses so easily spread. As a director, filmmaker, and founder of Good Virus, Gaz is committed to spreading and inspiring kindness through a variety of mediums and experiments, much like “The Good Money Project.” He explains, “The viral nature of kindness has evolved as a means to bring us together as cooperative, mutually beneficial groups, or super-organisms. This is your family, your church, the company you work for, your town, city and country and ultimately, the world,” of the philosophy that drives his social experiments and desire to spread goodness.
Gaz also believes that “Social influence is one of the most effective ways to change behavior,” which is why he is interested to see if subliminally-labeled currency inspires good deeds and generosity. The Good Virus team will be tracking the movement and expansion of the “THIS MONEY HAS BEEN USED FOR GOOD” bills using their serial numbers, by selling stamps, and encouraging folks to write their own kind messages.
To learn more about the project or to help Good Virus track the “good money,” visit the organization’s official website.