In case you haven’t heard, the Consumer Power Initiative is a 501(c)(3) with a mission of promoting companies with charities in the equity position. We believe that donating is often difficult for everyday people to do, because it competes with their other needs and desires. However, if people are presented with the opportunity to buy the same things they would otherwise purchase at the same price with the added advantage of knowing the profits generated are directed towards charities, it would become a lot less difficult and a lot more common for everyday people to make a significant positive impact. That’s why the Consumer Power Initiative is looking to create a world in which consumers and other economic actors can discriminate in favor of effective charities and transform the world by directing a significant chunk of the 8-10 trillion dollars of global net profits to effective charities.
We are delighted with the progress that we have made in 2022: we have helped develop the Giving Store, expanded our social media presence, and organized many of the current Profit for Good companies around the world into a trade group called the Charitable Profits Alliance (CPA). We will be launching a marketing campaign for CPA so that the people of the world know where they can buy and fund charities simultaneously. The Consumer Power Initiative will also be networking and providing Alliance members contacts with experts and specialists who can help them at a reduced rate.
Current Projects:
1. Amplifying and Supporting Charitable Profits Alliance Members
We look forward to launching our webpage featuring our Charitable Profits Alliance members, who have in the course of their existences donated over $6 million dollars to charities. We will announce the current members upon the launch of the webpage. Our mission with the Charitable Profits Alliance consists of:
- Identifying and recruiting Profit for Good Companies to join the Alliance
- Networking with sympathetic specialists, such as consultants, influencers, lawyers, impact investors, lobbyists, accountants
- Conferring with Profit for Good companies to identify their needs and strategize how the Consumer Power Initiative can provide the most value
- Developing a joint marketing plan and otherwise boost public awareness that they can fund charities simply by buying from members of the Charitable Profits Alliance
2. Movement Building/Social Media
We are looking to inform the public about their ability to help solve global problems by buying through Profit for Good companies. We are looking to develop an online presence that makes it clear to philanthropists and other agents who would be able to help further the Profit for Good model that consumers would factor profit destinations into their purchasing decisions.
Our objectives in movement building/social media include:
- Inform the public about the extent of harm in our primary cause areas: Global Health & Development, Farmed Animal Welfare, and Environmental Degradation. Inform further about the power of effective charities in addressing and solving these problems.
- Excite the public about our project to give them the power to solve these problems without spending extra money by buying through Profit for Good companies.
- Provide the public with the awareness of exciting products from members of the Charitable Profits Alliance and the charities that benefit from them.
3. Creation/Management of E-Commerce PFGs
The Consumer Power Initiative is looking to expand everyday people’s abilities to fund charities through the purchase of goods and services. To that end, we are looking to expand on the creation of The Giving Store to different product areas. We currently are working on a site that will sell gaming products and 100% of the profits will go towards Caviver, that performs cataract surgeries to prevent blindness in Brazil.
Thus for our E-Commerce project we are:
- Expanding and developing marketing campaigns for existing Profit for Good companies
- Creating new Profit for Good E-Commerce sites that sell varieties of cool products and serve effective charities.
Help Create a World Where Global Profits Serve Effective Charities
It isn’t just Effective Altruists who would prefer the money from their purchases go to end global poverty rather than enrich shareholders, so help us create a world in which profits can follow our natural sympathies. Below is a link to our Open Roles document detailing a number of different ways in which you can volunteer. I would emphasize, however, that if you are a smart, self-starter, with good communications skills, we can definitely use your help.
Open Roles Document
Please contact brad@consumerpowerinitiative with any interest in volunteering or if you are otherwise interested in learning more or otherwise supporting the CPI or the Profit for Good model. We have compiled a reading list for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Profit for Good model and the Consumer Power Initiative. Please note that CPI is seeking funding at this time to get further off the ground in our mission.
