Joining 1% for the Planet

Joining 1% for the Planet is, in my opinion, the most significant action we’ve taken in 2019 towards ‘walking the talk’. 

The team talks that took place at our Porto Meetup confirmed that my idea to join the global donation scheme was the right one for the team, both individually and as a wider company. Personally, Barry and I have long been fans of Patagonia outdoor wear. 1 % for the Planet was started as a joint project between the founders of Patagonia and Blue Ribbon Files where organisations commit to donating 1% of sales to high impact environmental charities. I’ve seen the 1% for the planet logo on various ethical products I’ve purchased. It always makes me feel good about my choice and I now start to look for the logo when I’m making purchasing decisions. It seems the right step to add that partnership logo to HappyPorch. 

The first step was contacting the membership team at 1%. I spoke to the membership manager in October 2018 and she was helpful in explaining how the scheme works and how to bring HappyPorch on board. Given the timescales, we agreed it would be best to begin our membership in 2019, in line with our company financial year. 

The commitment to donating 1% of sales, rather than profits, is significant. It shows a level of commitment to the environment that goes beyond profits. It also means that there is still a responsibility to donate even if an organisation does more than they should to report minimal profits to the tax office (not us but I could name a few global corporations…).

After signing the paperwork and other adminy stuff (including paying our membership joining fee), choosing a ‘non-profit’ partner was our next step. As an open organisation, all the team members were involved. I shortlisted a number of environmental partners from those already part of 1%. The team then voted. 

In 2019, we will be supporting the Environmental Investigation Agency. 

We chose this one because we like the work they’re doing. They seem to be making a high impact in areas we care about. From a practical point of view, they are UK registered, just like HappyPoch. We hope that our relatively small annual donation will help them continue to do good work. 

Joining 1% for the Planet as a company fits very well with our collective values. 

 

About the author

Simone Gribble

Simone is controlling, in the best way. She keeps track of our sustainability on all fronts - financial, environmental, and social. The key instigator for the intense collaboration sessions that bring our distributed team together, Simone ensures we are always raising the bar to meet our mission.

If she's not running a finance report, you'll likely find her dancing, cycling, or sprinting across far-flung locations (and occasionally closer to one of her two homebases, Edinburgh and Melbourne).