Our Mission.

From climate change to homelessness, dedicated charitable institutions are working to solve the intractable problems of our time, and what they need, more than anything, is consistent revenue in the form of donations. 

In 2018, the 50 largest companies in the United States earned a combined $6.55 trillion in revenue. That same year, corporations collectively spent $800 billion on stock buybacks while only donating $20 billion to charity. Additionally, the average CEO in the S&P 500 made $14 million or 287 times the median worker. As the disposable income gap has grown so has the gap in charitable giving; 20% of all households gave 83% of all donations. With stagnant salary growth, the rising cost of living, and the now very real reality of the next great recession, individuals don’t give like they did in the past. Since 2002, the number of Americans who donate to charity decreased by 22%, a percentage that will likely increase after the 2017 tax bill and the global pandemic COVID-19. Commerce for Change is addressing the issue of philanthropy by rethinking how we give.

By challenging how we think about the structure of our economy, there is an opportunity to raise billions of dollars for charity by tapping into something we all do daily, which is shop. In 2018, Americans spent $14.24 trillion on goods and services. By connecting acts of commerce with charity, we will empower Americans with a new way to give. With the goal of increasing corporate giving by $1 billion annually, directly benefiting the movers and the shakers, Commerce for Change can be the difference in the health and survival of organizations who are fighting climate change, sheltering the homeless, and protecting women’s health.

By making your purchase count, you not only will be benefiting charitable organizations, populations at risk, and supporting participating businesses; you will also help to sustain an important part of the American workforce. As of 2016, nonprofits accounted for roughly one-in-ten jobs in the U.S. private workforce, with total employees numbering almost 12.5 million. Since 2007, nonprofit jobs grew almost four times faster than the for-profit jobs.

In researching philanthropy, Commerce for Change realized that there are millions of dedicated people working incredibly hard to solve the local and global problems of our time. What they need more than anything is a consistent flow of money. Individually, we cannot solve every issue, however, collectively - by fundamentally changing how we organize our daily economic transactions by partnering with corporate America -  we can help fund the organizations that can and will solve our world’s most pressing problems.

 

Think of us as 'Newman's Own' for everything else.