As more consumers choose to vote with their dollars, corporate social responsibility has become an important way to stand out from the competition. However, what drives most charitable initiatives is a personal connection to the cause.
Ann Brown, founder and CEO of Saltability, lives near the ocean. One of her favorite pastimes is surfing and paddle boarding with her 14-year-old daughter who loves sea turtles. While attending an event last year, Brown met a board member of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (Boca Raton, FL). The organization’s mission is to inspire stewardship of coastal and marine ecosystems. After becoming fast friends, they teamed up to raise money for the center’s annual 10K race. Saltability served as a sponsor of the race, which raised $34,000. The company also launched a new giveback effort to make a donation for a sea turtle hatchling with every account opened for professional items. Clients whose accounts resulted in the donation received a certificate of adoption from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, which supports the care and feeding of the turtles. In 2020, Brown will serve as co-chair of the Gumbo Limbo 10K. “Since I had kids, my entire perspective has changed on giving,” says Brown. “I have been on numerous boards, chaired all kinds of fundraisers and walks and runs, so it means everything to me and Saltability. It is our mission to really keep reaching to just help.”
Alicia Grande, founder of Grande Cosmetics, was also moved to help victims of Hurricane Dorian. She did that by launching Lip Relief, a campaign to give back to the Bahamas with a 100 percent donation of all proceeds from select GrandeLIPS products throughout the month of October to the American Red Cross, earmarked for its Bahamian efforts. “Honestly, I was very moved on a personal level by the disturbing images I saw of the devastation on the news,” says Grande. “I knew I had to do something to help the people of the Bahamas return to their normal routines as soon as possible.” According to her, the company’s efforts are often inspired by a personal connection, such as its support of breast cancer awareness. “That effort is inspired by my grandmother who was like a second mother to me,” says Grande. “She passed from breast cancer, so it’s something I care deeply about and support whenever I can. A longtime employee of Grande Cosmetics lost his mother to ovarian cancer, so we’ve made it a company tradition to join together for charity walks in her memory to do all that we can to raise awareness about such a silent disease.”
Giving back has long been a hallmark of the wellness community, and as more people vote with their dollars, it’s also proven to be good for business, as well.
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