As we navigate tumultuous times in our country and across the globe, people are looking to businesses to cultivate community, either through their own programs or through partnerships. According to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, businesses and NGOs are the most trusted organizations by the public, more so than media or the government. People are looking to these organizations to fill a need, solve problems, and redefine the ‘good life’ in their communities.
Coming out of the Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit this May, one thing was clear: Brands are working hard to do just that. They are moving beyond talk and becoming advocates for causes that matter to their consumers and their employees, building communities centered around these convictions. Based on my experience at Savers, I can tell you that to truly redefine the good life in a sustainable manner, we will all need to look for unconventional partnerships that help advance business, and sustainability. At Savers, we do this through our partnerships with local charitable organizations that help us keep clothing and household goods out of landfills while supporting important causes in communities across the United States and Canada.
It is truly a privilege to work with local charitable organizations like this. The impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is extraordinary: In 2016, it connected 1,030 youths with one-on-one mentor relationships, with the help of revenue from its partnership with Savers. That’s more than a thousand youths who are more likely to graduate high school, go to college and meaningfully contribute to their communities. Considering it only costs $2,000 to recruit, match and support the youth, family and mentor in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program for a full year, donating items to this organization is a great way to exercise the power of reuse and help them deliver on their mission and programs.
Unfortunately, millions of U.S. citizens and Canadians are not taking advantage of this easy way to support their community. The most recent Savers State of Reuse Report found that a shocking 54 percent of citizens from the U.S. and Canada reported they are still throwing out their used clothing and household goods, rather than donating. The good news is, the report also found an easy way to encourage more people to take action, by showing them how their donation can positively impact their local community. In fact, over half of people donate their clothing to help their community and 78 percent of people would prefer their charitable giving benefit a local cause rather than a national cause.
TVI, Inc. d/b/a Savers and Value Village is a for-profit professional fundraiser. Click here for state-specific disclosures.
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VP of Recycling and Reuse
Savers
Tony Shumpert is VP of Recycling and Reuse at Savers.
Published Jul 17, 2017 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST