B1G1 – Global Giving Partnering Businesses With Charities

Buy One Give One (BOGO) is the home of transaction-based giving.

STOP. Take a breath. And imagine you were part of a world where every single transaction made a difference.

Imagine, for a moment, you purchased a television, and automatically a cataract-blind person got the gift of sight. Automatically. Or imagine if today you purchased a cup of coffee and someone in Africa got access to clean, pure drinking water as a direct result. Again automatically.

It’s all happening right now. Already Buy1GIVE1 (Buy1/Give1) has become a true global giving ‘village’, bringing together businesses, their customers and worthy causes in a way that’s never been done before.

It’s happening globally, every second, every day and in every way with a staggering 556 projects already underway and making a difference.

That’s because in the Buy1GIVE1 world, every single sales transaction, be it buying a cup of coffee in Cape Town or renting a car in Reno (and everything in between) gives back in a well-defined, resonant and measurable way.

In this present economy, when both corporations and charities have seen a decrease in profits and donations, cause-related marketing appears to really be catching on. Cause-related marketing is a business scheme involving a partnership between a company with a product to sell and a charity with a cause to advance. As opposed to “corporate philanthropy,” which simply involves a company making a tax-deductible charitable donation, cause-related marketing benefits both the company (by helping to increase sales, and thus, profits), and the charity (by giving contributions and calling attention to the cause.)

You buy a book, a tree gets planted. You dine out, a child is fed. Buy One Give One – simple. The list is endless and the giving simply happens automatically, every second, every day and in every way.

And it is beautifully simple. Buy1GIVE1 is now becoming a global movement as more and more businesses jump on board and enjoy the incredible benefits of transaction based giving.

In Buy1GIVE1, they made sure that in all cases, the consumers are not only involved in CSR initiatives on a daily basis. Buy1-Give1 generates answers to that and it does it every second, every day and in every way.

Discover more about how Buy1GIVE1 (BOGO) can transform your business using Cause Marketing.

This article, B1G1 – Global Giving Partnering Businesses With Charities has free reprint rights.


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How Philanthopy, NGO's and BOGO's Might Be Hurting and Helping Africa

We have been touting here various "Buy One Give One" "BOGO" business giving models, as great examples of innovative business philanthropy-business blended with social mission. So when I came across a recent post by R.Todd Johnson:Reflections on Ethiopia,Is Philanthropy Killing Africa?  suggesting that BOGO businesses, like NGO's, are hurting Africa by destroying  local small businesses and squashing entrepreneurism, I needed to investigate the impact of these philanthropic ventures to perhaps defend and justify their purpose.

But first, to support Todd Johnson's view, and I believe he really brings up some good points, I recently heard a story from a friend of mine, a successful entrepreneur, who went down to Bolivia to help revitalize an ailing weaving industry that has been destroyed by donated clothing delivered to these poor regions. He saw indigenous people in the remote areas in the Andes walking around wearing Stanford sweatshirts. One wonders what else has been squashed here.

Yes, there is a point here, but does it always apply? On the philanthropic side, there is this view that people can't even learn to fish, so to speak, while they are sick, hungry, cold, and uneducated. On the impact side, there is plenty evidence that indicates a failure in the delivery and benefits of aid and handouts, not just in Africa, but at a more local level.

This whole question of whether aid is essential to the development of countries, or whether it is killing it, has been debated in much higher circles than I can ever reach. Paul Solman the economics reporter on PBS's Lehrer News Hour did a story: Authors Analyze, Criticize Foreign Aid Agencies in New Books, where he took on this subject with a point and counterpoint between two very highly respected economists and authors, Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, and William Easterly of NYU. Although each side used very convincing arguments backed by their research to defend their position while criticising the other, Paul Solman concludes that they both agree on one thing-accountability is essential. I urge anyone interested in understanding the complexity of this issue to read their books and research.


Todd Johnson compared BOGO businesses with NGO's  and used the slightly obscured example of one such company TOMS Shoes that donates shoes to children in Africa as an example of a "well intentioned" but "hurting to a long term sustainable solution"- because, as he puts it:

"First, as long as rural Africans have an opportunity to potentially receive free shoes donated by a U.S. shoe company, why would they want to pay for shoes? Second, as long as rural Africans are unwilling to pay for shoes, how can local African shoemakers hope to have a flourishing local business?"

First of all, the comparison between a business and a NGO makes no sense. Because these businesses have been formed with a double or triple bottom line purpose, they are accountable to their stakeholders: the founders, partners, investors, customers. And with the increasing use of social media and marketing, their impact  becomes, by necessity, more transparent than an NGO's. This changes the game, as the stakeholders can insist that their buy one, give one purchase and donation does no harm.

I first wrote about TOMS shoes well over a year ago, when it was a fledgling social enterprise. So now it seemed it was good time to check on their accountability. Toms Shoes, it turns out, addresses this very question 

From TOMS Shoes:

“Do no harm”. Even in very poor countries, some local shops sell shoes. We work with our partners to ensure that the children receiving our shoes truly could not afford to purchase them on their own, to minimize the negative impact on the local shoe-selling economy. We also work with our partners to make sure children are not experiencing negative stigma as a result of wearing our shoes – sometimes wearing shoes in a community where shoes are rare can actually make a child stand out in a bad way!

Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential."

Then there is Socks for Happy People, which we profiled here several months ago. For every pair that is bought they give a pair socks to Mongolian street children who often have to endure temperatures as low as -40°C.. AND these donated socks have been made locally in Mongolia from Mongolian camel hair. And they have a wider social mission too: "that of providing inspiration and education to entrepreneurs and consumers".
Why would they want to kill the very thing they are hoping to inspire?

I just recently learned about BOGO light, the solar powered flashlights where one light is donated to an affiliate non-profit for every light purchased. Mark Bent, the founder of BOGO lights had lived and worked in Africa for many years where he saw the urgency in providing sustainable light sources. Aside from these flashlights being very environmental for everyone who owns one, they have a major impact on health, safety and education of women and children, especially in these developing countries. More than likely he also saw the urgency of providing Africans the means to develop their own businesses.

Can giving a child in a impoverished country a solar powered flashlight so they can study at night really "kill Africa"?  Mark Bent, who deeply loves Africa, probably doesn't think so.

And I don't either- until you show me some real analysis.

Buy One, Give One Gains A Lot

Who says one can't make a difference? Among the many innovative new concepts entering the zeitgeist of business philanthropy every single day, none is as blissfully simple and efficient as the concept of "buy one, give one." All this week, I'll be examining the philanthropic "power of one" movement, starting today with the "buy one, give one" concept that's quickly entering the lexicon of entrepreneurs and philanthropists all around the globe.

As Lalia mentioned in her piece last week, the whole notion has a built-in simplicity to it: central to the "buy one, give one" concept is the guarantee that for every item of product sold, a business donate an equivalent item to someone in need. In essence, the business and their customer become partners in philanthropy when customers purchase great products at low prices and sponsor the business' matching gift.

The model was conceived by Masami Sato, an entrepreneur based in Singapore. Inspired by her own globetrotting travels, encountering different cultures and the excess of need many of them experience, Sato pioneered the "buy one, give one" concept with one of her own businesses before founding Buy 1GIVE 1, or B1G1, in 2007. Led by an executive team from around the world, B1G1 is a social enterprise designed to recruit businesses for their "buy one, give one" model. Working through their nonprofit arm, B1G1 Society, businesses can register with B1G1 and get start with this "embedded" giving by helping to fund any of an array of projects. So far member businesses from 28 countries have donated millions to over 600 different projects, all dedicated to "impacting the world one transaction at a time."

And the concept, so well-branded and refreshingly uncomplicated has spread at wildfire speeds, even outside the domain of B1G1. Of course, we've mentioned TOM'S Shoes, the darling of the "buy one, give one" movement, but others have followed their blazing lead.

Figs, a boutique company specializing in stylish ties and bowties, has spearheaded a unique "threads for threads" concept. For every tie sold, Figs donates a school uniform to a child in the developing world, particularly Africa, where uniforms and good appearance are required by custom for children who attend school.

The online wine vendor CellarThief has chosen clean water as their company's pet cause. Offering - true to their name - great wines at stellar low prices, CellarThief makes a donation for every bottle sold, contributing to causes that support potable water in the Third World. According to their site they've so far funded 223,200 days of clean water since the company's launch.

In the same way, my favorite of the "buy one, give one" companies, online eyewear retailer Warby Parker has a knack for designing and peddling hip, cutting-edge eyeglass frames. Founded by four Wharton grads and longtime pals, Warby Parker utilizes a straight-froward "Buy A Pair/Give A Pair" practice, wherein they partner with RestoreVision.org to donate one pair of glasses for every pair sold. So far they've distributed needed eyewear to a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Ghana, El Salvador, Peru, Ethiopia, Mexico, and even several locations within the US.

With results like these, who says one is the loneliest number?

Business Giving: How the Small Number "One" Can Make a Big Difference

One little number, the number "one"-can pack a powerful punch in corporate philanthropy and small business giving by making a difference to one person, to one organization, to one cause.

There is a story that is often told to illustrate the philanthropic principle of the power of "one". The story goes like this: A man was walking on the beach when he came across a  boy who was sifting through the debris. When the boy found a starfish he would throw it back into the sea. The man asked the boy why he was doing that and he replied that a the starfish will die if they are out of the water for too long. "But you can't possibly save all of them?" "No," the boy said, "but I can save that one."

Businesses are discovering that allocating even a small amount of their resources to a variety of causes, can create meaningful impact. In our upcoming three part series we will have take a look at three business giving models that are designed around the concept of "one", and that have invited other businesses to join them in finding innovative ways to give back to humanity and the world.


Buy One, Give One- Buy1Give1- One For One- all about giving "one" to someone need, for every one bought.

TOMS Shoes has rapidly become the sweetheart of the philanthropic world with their appealing model of giving a pair of shoes to one needy child, for every pair of shoes bought. We wrote about TOMS' One for One model, a little more than a year ago, and the number of businesses since then that engage in this type philanthropic model  has mushroomed.  And other companies like Socks For Happy People have adopted  a Buy One, Give One Model also.
And Buy1Give1 is a transaction based membership organization that helps businesses donate to good causes. 

One Percent
One Percent For the Planet, developed by Yvon Chouinard the founder of Patagonia - is an alliance of  businesses that promise to donate 1 percent of profits to environmental causes.
One Percent For Humanity is an association of businesses committed to giving at least 1% of their annual revenues to approved non-profit humanitarian organizations.

1/1/1  Model

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com  has created  salesforce.com's integrated philanthropy 1/1/1 Model — a commitment to giving one percent of profits, one percent of employee volunteer time, and donating one percent of products to non-profit organizations.
Salesforce.com's visionary 1/1/1 integrated philanthropy model now includes a  fourth "1" - one with the Earth

Here are some ideas any sized business can use to build on the concept of giving "one".
Just do one thing!  sponsor one child, give to one school, one day of fundraising, match one dollar for dollar, customers add on one dollar to a sale, a penny jar collection, a promotion on the first of every month.

Collectively one can become many, and one can make a big difference. The important thing is realize that even a small amount of giving back can make a difference for humanity and the world.

What is "ONE" way your business can use the number one to give back?

Ecojot : Using the Philanthropic Model of Buy One Give One, Workbooks for Kids Around the World

Ecojot makers of 100% post-consumer recycled paper products donates school supplies to kids in need around the world through their corporate giving model  "buy one, give one".  For every Recycled Journal, Notebook, Sketchbook, or Calendar that is sold, they will donate and ship workbooks to children who cannot afford school supplies. Partnering with the Ve'ahavta KinderKits Program, their first shipment was sent along with medical supplies to Zimbabwe.

Originally called the Mirage Paper Co., three years ago Mark Gavin the head of marketing and his sister,Carolyn, embraced the trend of businesses taking on social responsibility by becoming more green as well as giving to social causes in the world. Mark and Carolyn  developed a  line of  green stationary made entirely from waste material that is locally made in Canada. Their products use acid-free  processed chlorine free paper, glues are vegetable based and  bio-degradable, paper is made from recycled materials, and all packaging is corn based

Ecojot's corporate giving also supports the non-profit environmental organization Canopy, that works to protect all the world's forests, species and climate. They are proud to donate $1 from the sale of each 'bou" (as in caribou) journal to Canopy which is promoting the protection of the boreal woodland caribou an endangered species in Canada.


Ecojot joins the inspiring list profiled here at BusinessThatCares, of other businesses that have adopted the buy one give one business giving model like Toms Shoes, and Socks for Happy People, as well as triple bottom line companies, with their commitment to people, planet, and profit such as Better World Books.

Their products are both colorful and beautiful and can be purchased in stationary stores all over the US and Canada. You can follow their inspiring story on their blog: Jot and Dot.