Tuesday Rants: Fashionable Charities

Lately I've seen a growth in fashionable charities.

    What do I mean by "fashionable charities?" These are for-profit companies that have some kind of charitable element, but may give consumers misleading information on how much they donate and to whom they donate. 

    One of the most well-known of these is Toms Shoes, a for-profit company that operates on a "one for one" policy. For every pair of Toms Shoes bought, the company donates a pair to a child in need. Sounds good, right? 

    There are a whole slew of criticisms on Toms, and I don't particularly want to go into the details so I'll lay them out for you quickly: giving people shoes takes away from local businesses; the shoes are made through third-party manufacturers; it does not work alongside community organizations; it assumes that people need shoes when they may not.

    In short, I'm skeptical of organizations that claim to do good if they are not transparent about their policies. If a company is being vague about how much they donate, and where they donate to, then I get suspicious. What are they hiding?

    I think we need to be conscious of where we buy things and what companies we are supporting. I fully support charities and for-profits that support sustainable growth and work alongside the community.

    Before you buy from a company that claims to donate money to so-and-so, take the time to read all the fine print. Are they clear about their practices? Do they align with your philanthropic goals? Do they work alongside existing community efforts? What charities are they in partnership with?

We are stewards with what we have been given. What will you do with what you have?

Keep thinking,

Candy