Shopping·4 min read

Companies That Give Back

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theSkimm
January 1, 2019

The New Year is a good time to reflect and help others. But some companies make it a priority all year round. Whether you want your money to do some extra good or you want to work at a place that aligns with your values, here are some places to consider...

Companies that make giving back part of their biz model:

  1. Sudara...a clothing brand that works to empower women in India by giving them the skills, pay, and education they need to escape sex slavery and human trafficking. So if you get a pair of their yoga pants, you’ll have helped do some good...even if you don’t leave the couch.

  2. *Warby Parker…yeah, yeah, we all know the brand. But what you may not know is that buying those tortoise shells actually helps people around the world have access to vision care. The co donates to nonprofits that train people to give eye exams and care in areas that don't normally have access to them.

  3. WeWood...here’s one for the environment lovers. This brand of Italian-made, wooden watches plants a tree for every watch sold as part of the company’s reforestation program. So far, its planted over 440,000 trees across the world in collaboration with nonprofits like Trees for the Future and American Forests.

  4. *TOMS…the OG. for every pair of TOMS shoes sold, its “one for one” program gives a pair of shoes to kids in need. Today, that stands at over 60 million pairs. And that’s just the beginning. It also launched TOMS Eyewear – which helps restore sight and establish community-based eyewear programs, TOMS Roasting Co – which helps provide safe water to those in need, and TOMS Bags – which helps provide safe birth kits for expecting moms. Oh and in case that wasn’t enough, to co is also gave away $5 million to orgs committed to ending gun violence.

  5. The Company Store...known for bedding, pjs, and catalogues in your grandma’s house. The company has a ‘Buy One, Give One’ program that donates a comforter to homeless children for every comforter sold. It works with Family Promise – a leading nonprofit for low-income and homeless families.

Companies that make doing good part of their employee benefit package:

  1. *Patagonia…not just the jacket you had in high school. This CA-based brand is all about sustainability for a cleaner planet: it uses organic cotton and recycled polyester in its clothes, helps fund other green-friendly startups, started a platform for customers and grassroot orgs to connect, and donates 1% of all sales to preserving Planet Earth (psst...the co has donated more than $89 million in cash to date). And its employees are in on it too: they participate in a yearly 5K run and give the proceeds to local environmental groups, are given the opportunity to work up to two months for an environmental group while still getting paid, and many volunteer at places throughout the year.

  2. Salesforce…for the person with their head in the cloud(s). The cloud-based software company is making serious bank. But it hasn’t stopped it from also doing serious good. The SF-based company encourages its employees to follow suit by having them volunteer instead of day one orientation, and giving them paid time off to keep up the service work. It’s also has a few titles to write home about: #1 on Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For and #2 on Barron’s list of 100 Most Sustainable Companies. Not too shabby.

  3. Wegmans...more than just the best grocery store ever – this is not a hot take, this is real...try the prepared foods. It’s also a great place to work because it cares about the community. Last year, the company donated $26 million to hunger-relief programs and gave around 14.5 million pounds of food to local food banks. It also has a scholarship program to help its employees grow in their careers (psst: since it started doing this in ‘84, it’s given out scholarships to nearly 36,500 employees). *PS: These are partner products, which means if you purchase, theSkimm may get something in return.

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