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EVEN IN RECESSION, CORPORATE GIVING MOVEMENT GROW
1% for the Planet Passes 1,000 Member Company Mark
02.04.2009 – Waitsfield, VT (February 2, 2009) - Hard hit by the current recession,
donor dollars for non-profit causes are falling fast. One bright spot in these grim
economic times, and clearly bucking trends, is the significant growth of membership
in 1% for the Planet (1%).
Member companies pledge to donate at least 1% of their revenues to non-profit
organizations focused on sustainability. “One percent of sales is an extraordinary
commitment, and that’s the point”, says CEO Terry Kellogg. “Companies that share
this commitment clearly separate themselves from the pack, making it easy for
consumers to recognize and support them”.
Since 2007, new member companies have been signing up at a rate of more than
one per day. As global financial markets collapsed last October, more companies
joined than in any other month of 2008. “Our rate of growth, even in the face of
economic calamity, is phenomenal” said Kellogg. “It’s a clear indication to me that
consumers and companies alike are seeking a better kind of capitalism”.
In 2002, Yvon Chouinard (well-known environmentalist and founder of Patagonia),
and his fly-fishing companion, Craig Mathews (founder/owner of Blue Ribbon Flies
in Montana) launched 1% to encourage more companies to support environmental
causes. When asked about reaching the 1,000 company milestone, Chouinard said,
“At first I didn’t think we’d ever have 1,000 members. Now it’s clear, we started a
revolution that’s only just begun.”
Today, 1% membership includes stalwarts of socially responsible businesses like
Patagonia, Clif Bar and New Belgium Brewing, well-known artists like Jackson
Browne, Jack Johnson, and Josh Ritter, fashion icons Barneys NY and Loomstate,
and hundreds of small companies in 37 countries. A number of large companies
also participate at the brand level including, Sony, Diageo, Barneys NY, Volcom, and
Billabong. “I am inc