because I said I would

because I said I would is a nonprofit built on the idea that promises still matter. Alex Sheen founded it in 2012 after his father died of cancer. His eulogy, titled "because I said I would," spread widely online, and he began offering free Promise Cards for people to write down a promise to anyone. The cards remain at the heart of the organization, alongside awareness campaigns about keeping promises.

Today its mission is to empower people with resiliency skills and mental health habits. It runs resiliency workshops in high schools and correctional facilities through its chapter programs, shares free lesson plans and mentor kits online, and hosts bereavement programs for grieving families at Camp because I said I would, a 92-acre retreat center about 45 miles east of Columbus.