For many charities, a hundred dollar contribution is a tiny, albeit needed, drop in the proverbial bucket. For the Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy, it’s exactly what they’ve asked for. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t be surprised. It’s a secret, after all.

Blogger Courtney Martin landed a large book advance in 2005 and wanted to donate part of the money to make a difference. Instead of simply sending off a check to a huge charity, she handed over several one hundred dollar bills to friends, with her only instruction to find a way to spend the money on imaginative acts of random kindness.

So began a unique type of social charity.

While it’s not Oxfam or the Salvation Army, what the society is missing in numbers, it more than makes up for in pure good spirits. One secret agent spread one hundred dollars worth of coins on a playground and enjoyed watching as the kids exclaimed over their good luck. Another passed out one-dollar bills on a street corner just for offering a hug to a stranger. A secret agent in San Francisco mailed his hundred dollars in pennies to friends all over the US to leave everywhere they could drop one, just to give good luck to those who found them. These original agents so enjoyed brightening the days of strangers that they started bringing in other secret agents to help out.

But not all agents think only of instant gratification. One of the original nine secret agents enlisted by Martin used his $100 to open a savings account with a high rate of interest. He left instructions for his great grandchildren to donate the principal and all interest earned to the charity of their choice in the year 2100, ensuring that the Society lives on even then.

Other charities can also benefit from the generosity of this social charity of secret agents,

like those in Oakland, CA, who paid the adoption fee for two older dogs who were thought to be unadoptable. Both dogs were able to find new homes, showing that one $100 bill can benefit six different ways. (You do the math: 1 secret agent + 1 animal shelter + 2 dogs + 2 new owners = 6 happy things)

Beneficiaries of the charity are often skeptical. Wouldn’t you be, if some random stranger on the street tried to offer you money for nothing? One agent had trouble giving away free umbrellas in a rainstorm. Still, the notion of smaller, more creative ways to give has captured the attention of do-gooders everywhere. The social charity society has grown to include groups in New York, California, and Florida. Using novel ideas to generously spend a $100 bill? We’re pretty sure Ben Franklin would approve.