Lady LUX

Working together to solve environmental challenges is the key goal of 1% For The Planet. More than 1,200 companies around the world, including Patagonia and Clif Bar, contribute 1 percent of their sales to directly support sustainability-oriented non-profit organizations.

“We help consumers to support companies who share their values. They can look for our logo whenever they shop and know that we audit our members’ giving,” said Brodie O'Brien, marketing manager for 1% For The Planet. “We take the guesswork out of partnership for our corporate members, who know that we’ve vetted the nonprofits in the network for efficacy. We also help nonprofits to find reliable sources of funding; since inception our member companies have donated more than $100 million to their work.”

It’s important for businesses to give back because by leveraging the power of capitalism toward positive ends, business has the potential to be a major player in ensuring our planet has a future, O’Brien said.

“1% For the Planet exists at the nexus of what many people think of as two opposing camps: business and the environment. We help to build relationships that bridge this gap, and clearly there’s a need. Every day there’s more evidence of the challenges our planet faces — food shortages, climate change, growing demand for resources. Despite all that, only 2 percent of U.S. philanthropic dollars go environmental annually,” she said.

The company encourages consumers to be part of the solution and make it fun and easy to join a tribe of likeminded people when shopping for products. It’s just as easy to choose a product from a company that supports the environment and sustainability as it is to buy from one that does not. With 1% For The Planet’s member directory, it’s easy to choose sustainability-minded organizations.

There are still many challenges for the non-profit organization. The company operates with a staff of only 12 employees, and so it often has to pass on projects and community suggestions in order to focus more narrowly on opportunities that will result in the greatest gains for the environment.

Businesses benefit by donating 1 percent of profits because they get to join a community of like-minded leaders, and they benefit from the credibility of third-party certification, and all of the company’s products will carry the 1% For The Planet logo, which results in a positive effect on credibility and brand loyalty from consumers. “The average 1% for the Planet business grows by 14.8% annually,” she said.

It’s important for companies to join 1% For The Planet because in the U.S., only 4 percent of total dollars given to philanthropic causes come from companies, while only 2 percent of the total dollars given go to the environment and animals.

One example of how companies benefit is Save the Colorado, which focuses on the Colorado River ecosystem. With this, multiple partners — Patagonia, New Belgium Brewing and Clif Bar — came together around a shared concern and leveraged their combined power as companies giving 1 percent of sales to create positive outcomes that would not have been possible without their involvement.

Earlier this year, 1% For The Planet passed the $100 million mark of donations raised. “Each year of 1% For The Planet’s existence, the network has given more money than the years prior to environmental causes. We’re just getting started though. There’s lots more work to do to create change on the scale that’s needed,” O’Brien said.

The organization is particularly proud of how it has helped individuals feel like they have a role to play in making positive change for the planet. “When you turn on the TV, go online or open a magazine there is so much negative press about the state of the environment. As consumers, 1% For The Planet makes it possible for every little purchase we make to be part of creating positive change,” O’Brien said.

If people stop and think about their needs and only shop when they need to, then it helps the environment and eliminates some unnecessary waste. And when people do choose to shop, opting for a product from a 1% For The Planet company means that they’re part of the solution. A lot of small decisions at the store add up as the network expands, O’Brien said.

“1% For the Planet is the only third-party certifier of corporate giving to environmental causes. It works by leveraging the most powerful force in the modern world — capitalism — to create positive change for the planet. In a time when government and nonprofits’ ability to tackle our challenges has been severely reduced, we think it’s a crucial role to play,” she said.

The music industry is also involved. The 1% For The Planet album brought together 41 artists including Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Josh Ritter and Grace Potter in support of our planet. Each artist donated a track to 1% For The Planet to create an album that debuted as one of the top-selling albums on iTunes.

“The reception from our network and beyond was incredibly positive; we’re excited to put together another album soon,” O’Brien said.

Visit onepercentfortheplanet.org for more information.

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