They're too quiet about their good deeds

February 1, 2007 8:53 PM

Help me promote an environmentally conscious, socially responsible small business.

A small business that I'm a big fan of puts aside a proption of the profit from one of their products to be distributed to local (to them) environmental and educational causes. To me this is a huge deal, but they've not really pushed this aspect. In fact, I missed it for a year or so, despite having purchased the product in question.

Currently I'm involved in promoting this business and its products in general, but I'd like to do more with their environmental fund in particular. Are there places (online) where this business can be registered, promoted or generally discussed specifically because they give money to such causes?

They're environmentally and socially conscious in other ways too. A couple of examples: Currently they're hosting a discussion about paper recycling and they have previously rejected off-shoring their production to China even though it would be much cheaper.

posted by krisjohn to society & culture (4 comments total)

This is interesting. I'm imagining a site that operates on the craiglist city-by-city model where you can nominate businesses for social responsibility or lack thereof.

It Should Exist.
posted by phrontist at 11:07 PM on February 1, 2007

I don't know about online, but in my (small) city there is a club/group dedicated to sustainability that could be located through the local chamber of commerce.
Also the university here has a department dedicated to such businesses and their study, marketing, etc.
And the entrepreneurship program at the same university takes local businesses and has groups of students work on them as class projects (marketing, finance, etc) -- free consulting.
Its my feeling, from what I see advertised, that if you want to be global/online, you better be hip. Just saying that you don't support bad things doesn't sell a product (is GE or Honda or BP, all having big pushes for their environmental agendas, really environmentally friendly because their products are poisoning less?); or the flip-side: how many people stopped using google because they struck a deal with China?
If you are determined to better your local causes, start the promotion there, that is where people will see the value you are trying to promote.
posted by iurodivii at 11:09 PM on February 1, 2007

krisjohn, I work in philanthropy in Australia and I may have some ideas for you when I get back to work, but that won't be till next week; email me, my address is in my profile. I'd be interested in knowing about them anyway, since learning about such organisations is part of my job, and I like to know who's doing good :)

In the meantime a few places to start for promotional purposes could be the Green Pages and Sustainable Living Directory.
posted by andraste at 4:13 AM on February 2, 2007

Futher to andraste's suggestions might be SustainLane.
posted by rmm at 9:00 AM on February 2, 2007