About Double Up Drive

At Double Up Drive, we believe that public giving influences greater generosity and that resulting donations carry more impact. We raise money and awareness for charities that are proven to have a significantly positive impact by hosting matching drives that collect up-front pledges from large donors, to provide 1:1 matches for smaller contributors.

We have raised $26,225,354 for highly impactful charities to date.

The Double Up Drive Team

Dan Smith

Dan is a professional poker player based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been running matching challenges since 2014, when he recognized the power of public giving to influence more generous and more effective donations. With the help of other matchers and the generosity of the public, Dan has helped raise over $26,225,354 to date for highly effective charities.

Stacey Black

Stacey studied Digital Design and gained extensive experience in website design/development, marketing, project management, and event planning with organizations such as Sanlam, XO Africa, and Future Media Group. Her unwavering passion for aiding those in need has always driven her, and her current role at The Life You Can Save seamlessly aligns with her dedication to both marketing and media, as well as her deep commitment to serving others.

Since 2023 Stacey stepped in as volunteer Executive Director for Double Up Drive. Stacey is rooted in Cape Town, South Africa, and is enthusiastic about her contribution to making the world a better place.

Alexis Gilbard

Alexis is an Emmy Award-winning Associate Director and Producer who has worked behind the scenes on some of the biggest sporting events in the world. Inspired by our mission to maximize fundraising and awareness for effective organizations, she has been volunteering with the Drive since 2018 and served as our Executive Director from 2019-2022.

Matt Ashton

Matt has been playing poker professionally since university and spends most of his free time traveling. He’s been interested in effective altruism since 2013 and joined the drive in 2018 to help introduce new donors to the approach and maximize funds raised for the most effective charities.

Stephen Chidwick

Stephen has been playing poker professionally for his entire “adult” life while living out of a suitcase. Having been inspired by public drives in the past, he joined the drive in 2018. Stephen finds playing in part to benefit others to be strong motivation to work hard and play his best.

Martin Crowley

When Martin found the effective altruism community several years ago, he was instantly enthralled by the combination of utilitarian values with hard data to back up those intuitions. An entrepreneur from a young age, he felt that earning to give would be his most impactful path and has spent the past few years working to contribute as much as possible to the world’s most effective causes.

How We Select Our Charities

The Double Up Drive Board utilizes research by respected charity evaluators and trusted partners to carefully choose organizations that have undergone assessments, validating their proven and significantly positive impact.

If you would like your charity considered for the next Drive, please contact us.