Our world is changing rapidly now. We are seeing it in many ways. From raising your own personal awareness to watching governments and countries change the way they do things, we’re starting to realize just how connected we all really are.

People are becoming very aware of their search for happiness and their desire for something bigger than themselves. Bhutan, a small country in Asia, is measuring Gross National Happiness (GNH) as an attempt to measure quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than just the economic indicator of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In business, we are seeing changes in many areas. There is a shift from secrecy to transparency through the power of social media, for example. And companies are moving away from a competitive mindset toward a more collaborative attitude by working with alliances and strategic partnerships.

T. Harv Eker says that business is a mindset and he’s right. It all starts in our mind, our imagination is our most powerful tool. Creating and bringing value to the world is the result of selling your ideas to others.

Giving is the path to an abundant mindset.

So what is happening to make such sweeping changes to the way we do business? People want a greater purpose now, for themselves and what they choose to support. The general public will no longer tolerate poor customer service, damage to the environment, and are realizing the influence they have by sharing their opinions online.

A business needs to show how it is contributing to the world, otherwise people won’t get hooked. And with this, we’re not talking about writing a check to a charity. We’re really talking about getting involved and caring about a cause. This is cause marketing (in which more than $1 billion a year has been spent since 2005). There is a growing expectation of social responsibility from savvy consumers.

A new business model is emerging that I call Contributionism, which is when contributing to a greater purpose is integrated into the way a company does business. A great example of the Contributism model is TOM Shoes. When you buy a pair of shoes, a pair is donated to a child in need of shoes. So even though they are more expensive, and maybe not the best looking styles, they make a statement and the customer feels good about buying these shoes. There is a cause behind the product that the customer can contribute to.

Customers are the driving force of any business, but now with advances in technology and full transparency, they too can easily become an active part in making or damaging your brand. So you want to make sure you have passionate Fans who are out there telling all their friends about your business because they wholeheartedly believe in what your business is doing and stands for.

Within the company, employees want to feel like they are also part of something bigger. When they are committed to the vision of the company, one of our humanistic needs is met, giving us a reason to do what we do.

Competition, fear and greed are disappearing. Taking its place is contributism—collaboration, connection, and abundance…all of which are reaching our core and spilling over into the business world. And the time has come for this new way of thinking. Contributionism is the path to a prosperous future for our planet.