Warby Parker

Oh, I'm in love all over again. Warby Parker is a stylish, current, dig-able little company that delivers great product and gives great return: each pair of prescription glasses and non-prescription but top-notch sunglasses costs $95 (what?) and for each pair you buy, they donate one pair to a glasses-wearer in need. They do this by partnering with experienced non-profits like VisionSpring, who descends upon communities to offer glasses and exams, essentially announcing it through a megaphone and driving traffic to the free exam spot the following day. They suit up a community with new pairs of specs and then go on their merry way. One of the founders used to lead VisionSpring, so this synergy is even more trustworthy.

The benefits abound, to everyone involved:
Customers: Frames are stylish and highly affordable - $95 a pop. They prioritize customer service and offer free exchanges and returns for those not lucky enough to be based in NYC.
Employeees: It sounds like a fun place to work. Oh, and the founders are adorable.
Community: Their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, clearly.
Environment: they are carbon neutral--one of the few in the eyewear industry.

Warby Parker is another certified B Corporation, meaning they are adhering to certain standards in providing a social benefit and aligning with sustainability practices. They have distributed over 85,000 pairs of glasses to date, with no signs of slowing down, and their model is simple, as stated in the site: We think it’s good business to do good.
We do too.

United by Blue

United by Blue is a B-Corporation. What is a B-Corporation, you might ask? This is a new way to incorporate that began in 2010; six states have already passed legislation and five additional states have bills pending. Certified B Corporations use the power of business to address social and environmental problems. Unlike traditional business structures and their standards of accountability, B-Corps must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards; meet higher legal accountability standards; and build business constituency for public policies that support sustainable business.

So how is United by Blue achieving that end?

For every product sold, they remove one pound of trash from our oceans and waterways; right now, they are on track to remove a million pounds of trash from our waterways by the close of 2012. They are not partnering with NGOs to do the dirty work: the anti-pollution efforts are conducted in-house and customers are welcome to volunteer their services, or to choose to put their purchases toward a 'dream' cleanup. Right now, they are targeting New York City's waterways, and once these cleanups have enough purchases backing them, United by Blue will make it official and begin the recruitment process.

United By Blue is committed to doing the least amount of harm to the environment in everything that it does: for example, they package organic products in paper made from rapidly renewing banana fibers, and have reduced plastic in its supply chain by 80% as a result. They even have a policy forbidding single-use disposable water bottles in the office, since these are the most commonly found item at cleanups.

The clothing line is sold in Urban Outfitters, thus hip and current but bypassing sequins or rail-thin models. Everything in the line reflects an 'ocean vibe,' allowing wearers to, with subtlety, show off the company's true-blue mission.

Chew on This

Trident is not a glamorous or necessarily trendy item, but it's my go-to gum, and also my most common impulse purchase at the checkout line. Due to their clear message about fighting tooth decay, it also seems like the more virtuous of gums and not just a tasty treat.

But Trident is doing more than just freshening the breath of burrito-lovers like me: I recently learned that over the last three years the company has committed $1.5 million toward Smiles Across America, a nonprofit offering dental care to children in underserved communities.

This has also helped to fund dental clinics in Dallas and Los Angeles, with plans to open six more locations in other areas. Right now SAA is serving around 350,000 children and provides its network with funding and technical assistance in communications and coalition building, enabling the network to reach a wider population and address barriers to access: lack of resources and transportation, low literacy and language diversity.

So while they are not a company dedicated to social good, per se, I appreciate the direct connection between the product and the charitable give-back and the acknowledgment that just gum isn't the answer: underserved populations could afford a pack of gum but not dental treatment, and Trident admits (with a smile, I'm sure) that gum is not the complete solution to tooth decay and more serious issues. And if they take care of kids early on, kids can grow up with positive associations with the Trident brand and also learn to value dental care and preventative health. Chew on that!

Fashion Forward

I have seen and supported many NGOs selling products made by beneficiaries in an effort to provide a respectable livelihood for the maker. Here, a traditional emphasis on social good is what drives the buyer, not the quality of the product in and of itself. But if someone is purchasing something because it makes them feel good, does that really empower the producer? I feel much more inspired buying something that I want anyway for its usefulness, quality or style, and then learning that the beautiful item was made by someone who has overcome great adversity.

Unsurprisingly, I am not the only one. Maiyet was created by two men with human rights backgrounds who believe that business can be used to promote peace. This is made possible by sourcing from (and encouraging the growth of) companies that have a stabilizing effect on their communities. And these products are luxury items that are no less than works of art. They incorporate block printing and the lost art of wax casting to add unique details to each piece, in high-end looks using materials from around the world that ought to be hitting the runway soon.



Maiyet partners with Nest, a non-profit that specializes in training and developing artisan businesses. Together, these groups identify partner organizations that exhibit strong leadership, are scalable, and can positively transform their communities. They find companies and artisans that alleviate poverty, empower women and promote peace. Maiyet then donates a portion of their proceeds back into the training and development of these talented but at-risk groups of artisans, so they can continue to, soon enough, create runway pieces for peace.

Twitter's First Crush

Some might argue Twitter's contributions to literacy and reading (at least the 140-character limit encourages succinctness and speed, right?) but Twitter has a new wine label called Fledgling Wine, and these grapes are giving back: $5 from every $25 bottle supports Room to Read's programs in India.

From their site:

The Fledgling Initiative aims to make awesome wine for the benefit of Room to Read, a non-profit organization extending literacy and educational opportunities to children worldwide. Every case of Fledgling wine sold will help promote literacy in Uttarakhand, India.

Twitter's company mission is to provide access to information and highlight the power of open communication to bring about positive change. I saw this mission embodied in their staff when I met Claire and Katie from Twitter at Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women summit this fall: they immediately initiated a discussion around how they could leverage Twitter in a charity campaign specific to my organization. Since then, I found out that Claire wrote a book entitled 'Twitter for Good,' and that since their first advertising spot Twitter has offered Tweets for Good and Crisis Tweets: both of which are now part of Twitter for Nonprofits).

Fledgling Wine is made by Crushpad in Sonoma, CA and is sold through the Fledgling site. Interestingly, the last Fledgling tweet was from over a year ago--but we won't hold that against them.

Curls for a Cure

Ouidad, or 'The Queen of Curl,' as she likes to be called, opened the first salon exclusively for those with curly hair in 1984 - the year I was born into this world with a mop full of unruly frizz. Products and advice is broken into categories based on just how curly your hair actually is: wavy, curly, tight curly or kinky. I am most interested in the Double Detangler, which reminds me a bit of the Mach-3: there appears to be several combs in one for getting through one's curls without ripping all the hair out. I'm intrigued.

Not only is she helping people like me who are plagued with big hair (and a lack of stylists who know how to manage it), but she is also fighting breast cancer through OUIDAD - Curls For A Cure® campaign. The campaign makes it fast and easy to donate during checkout, and they will match donations dollar for dollar until they reach the million dollar mark. They are well on their way.

In a nutshell, Ouidad has great products with a simple donation scheme- instead of money from purchases going to the cause, she leverages Ouidad's online platform to promote the cause, enables users to donate directly to the organization, and then matches the gift.

It looks like 2011 has brought them just shy of the $400,000 mark. Double your investment here.

Burt's Bees

I first learned about Burt's Bees through a friend who moved from Maine (the birthplace of Burt's) to our similarly eco-conscious community of Santa Cruz, CA. I’ve always found their branding sweet and modest, with old-fashioned typeset, golden honeycomb wallpaper and a cast-metal bee tied to gift items. During the course of my own lifetime, Burt’s humble beginnings have expanded to find a home in nearly 30,000 retail outlets and in the hands of millions of consumers worldwide.

The company got their start by selling homemade lip balms and hand salves at local craft fairs in Maine, which they made out of the leftover wax from their honey business. By the end of the first year, sales had jumped to $20,000, and continued to grow. Over the years Burt’s has developed different product lines to serve babies and moms, men and outdoorsy-types, all the while maintaining their commitment to natural ingredients and processes. This, I’m sure, has been tested and challenged as they’ve grown (and were acquired by Clorox). But the company commits to upholding general sustainability and eco sensitivity in their practices, and their Greater Good Foundation funnels at least 10% of all web revenues to selected "well being" partners. They are currently partnering with NEEM (Natural Environmental Ecological Management) to encourage urban farming in Durham, NC, and joining Kashi on a nationwide REAL wellness tour that encourages healthy life choices and sustainable living.

Burt's Bees employees add to the efforts: employees can dedicate 30 business hours a year to giving back. One 103-degree summer day, its Durham North Carolina headquarters closed so that staff could join partner organizations Habitat for Humanity and KaBoom! in building an eco-friendly playground and community garden. They later helped Habitat to build multiple green-certified homes in Durham, and employees donated 400 pairs of jeans for Habitat to repurpose as home insulation. The company offers high standards of employee benefits and health care, displaying an all-around investment in its people and in the world.

Burt's, you are the bee's knees.



photo by angel with horns, under flickr creative commons