Large corporations often get a reputation for being soulless and only caring about profits, but that isn’t always the case. Many brands out there are making efforts to help their communities and the world as a whole a better place. From charitable donations to taking a stand on social issues, there are plenty of ways that big businesses are showcasing their company values.
Take a look at these three companies who are making waves, donations, and a difference all at once:
Toms
Toms’ entire business model is built around giving back, with the company donating a pair of their shoes to impoverished children with every footwear purchase made. As the brand and their product line grew, Toms began donating to other worthwhile causes such as safe water systems and sight restoration for the visually impaired.
It’s not just in their day-to-day operations that Toms takes a stand on the causes that matter to them, though. When a devastating mass shooting took place in a California bar in November of 2018, Toms was swift to do their part in supporting the community. In the wake of the tragedy, Toms started their “End Gun Violence Together” operation, donating a whopping $5 million to violence prevention programs such as March For Our Lives.
In addition to their generous donation, Toms also began a campaign that encouraged their website and social media page visitors to write postcards to their congressional representatives to make universal background checks a requirement for purchasing firearms.
Lush Cosmetics
Lush Cosmetics is a soap and beauty retailer whose impact goes far beyond fun bath bombs. The feel-good, smell-good brand promotes environmentalism by incentivizing shoppers to recycle by offering a free face mask when they bring in five cleaned Lush pots into one of their stores.
The soap company also only sells vegan products and takes a strong stance against animal testing. Lush supports animal rights with their yearly award of the Lush Prize, where a contest is held for those researching alternatives to animal testing. The Lush Prize awards those who have made significant advancements towards the cruelty-free movement.
Lush is so passionate about supporting the causes that matter to them that they came out with their Charity Pot body lotion, which donates 100% of the proceeds to various charities and altruistic organizations. Since the product launched in 2007, Charity Pot has raised over $33 million for Lush’s partners to further their individual goals.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of taking a stance on social issues, so when climate change became a hot topic of debate in 2015, the ice-cream company didn’t hesitate to make a statement. To raise awareness on the issue, Ben & Jerry’s started their “Save Our World” campaign that encouraged people to sign a petition that helped fight climate change.
Their creative initiative featured a brand new ice cream flavor, “Save Our Swirled,” paired with a list of ingredients published on their site that could go out of availability due to climate change. By appealing to peoples’ hearts and tummies, Ben & Jerry’s social standpoint was in very good taste.
No matter the size of your company, you can always make a difference. Whether you partner with an organization to further their initiatives or simply commit to recycling and green practices in the office, every little bit counts. By making the causes that are important to you a part of your business, you too can show you care and do your part to make the world a better place.
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