The Pay It Forward Movement is the real-life reaction to the release of my novel in early 2000, followed by the creation of the Pay It Forward Foundation, followed by the Warner Brothers movie. I didn't write the novel expecting a social movement, but it's certainly been exciting to watch it grow.

The purpose of the Pay It Forward Movement website is to bring together, in one place, as many real stories as we can. This serves several purposes. It helps the cynics see that Pay It Forward really is working, not just around the United States but around the world. It brings much-deserved recognition to those doing the work, and puts the results of their efforts out in the open so others can be inspired. It's also a source of some good news for a change, a way to renew your faith in human nature.

Bear in mind that I only know the Pay It Forward stories that someone took the time to report. I'm guessing that's somewhere in the neighborhood of one in a hundred spontaneous acts of kindness. What you see on this site is barely the tip of an iceberg.

Know someone who is Paying It Forward? Please write and let us know. We will get the news to as many people as we can.

-Catherine Ryan Hyde

Please indicate whether we have your permission to post your story on this site, and whether you want your full name included.

E-mail us here

Pay It Forward Foundation board member Charley Johnson has introduced a new web site, a great location where anybody and everybody can submit their PAY IT FORWARD stories and also post comments, visit the website here.

Charley and the Pay It Forward Foundation have officially gone through 150,000 bracelets in the past 6 months with a 2nd batch of 100,000 just received. These bracelets have made their way to 5 continents (Asia, Europe, N. America, Australia & Africa) and over 50 countries.

We are just getting started, but Charley feels something very BIG is going to happen with Pay it forward in 2008, something that is going to change the world. We agree. Let's prove him right!