BUSINESS - Patagonia to Donate $10 million Through Social Innovation

Patagonia, a specialist in outdoor clothing and gear, pledged to donate 100% of its Black Friday sales to environmental causes.

Their hope was to bring in $2 million to distribute to a number of organizations, many of which are smaller and underfunded.

The response was overwhelming, with customers dubbing it “a fundraiser for the earth" and the company generated a record-breaking $10 million in sales.

“The enormous love our customers showed to the planet on Black Friday enables us to give every penny to hundreds of grassroots environmental organizations working around the world,” Patagonia stated in a blog post.

The company has an on-going commitment to donate 1% of their every day sales to non-profit environmental groups.

This commitment, along with the hugely successful Black Friday event, demonstrates how organizations that align their values with consumer values can achieve business success and gain customer loyalty.

“We felt it was important to go further and connect more of our customers, who love wild places, with those who are fighting tirelessly to protect them,” Rose Marcario, President and CEO said on their website.

“By getting active in communities, we can effect local change to protect the food our children and we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the treasured places we love the most.”

The Patagonia Black Friday event is an example of social innovation in action.

Nestle Purina Donated More Than $30 Million to Pet-Related Causes in 2015

Nestle Purina announced this week that in 2015 the company donated $31.5 million worth of pet food, pet supplies and monetary contributions to pet-related charities and other community organizations across the country.

The donations reached more than 120 pet welfare groups and the Urban Resource Institute, which operates four domestic violence shelters in the New York City area.

"At Purina we take our role as a responsible corporate citizen seriously and have always believed in supporting pet-related organizations in our hometown of St. Louis and in communities across the United States," said Kasey Bergh, director of Community Affairs, Nestlé Purina PetCare. "We believe that when pets and people are together, life is truly better, and we're very passionate about supporting charitable organizations that share our vision."

Purina donated money and pet supplies to the Urban Resource Institute to help URI build the first dog park – the Purina Pet Haven – in a Manhattan-based domestic violence shelter.

The new dog park opened in October at Urban Women's Retreat, a Tier I emergency shelter that is part of the URIPALS (People and Animals Living Safely) program. URIPALS is the only program in New York City, and one of few nationally, that allows survivors of domestic violence to live in the shelter with their pets.

Pet-welfare organizations used Purina donations for a variety of needs, including construction and repairs to pet shelters at organizations that are working to find forever homes for dogs and cats.

Hill's reaches out to Ontario humane societies

In response to the removal of 100+ cats from a home west of Toronto last weekend, Hills Pet Nutrition is reaching out to help the Oakville and Milton Humane Society with their urgent request of 100 cases of Hill's feline canned pet food. 

This effort by Hill's is in addition to the free Science Diet product already provided to the Oakville and Milton Humane Society (a shelter partner) as part of the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program. 

"The condition of these cats were understandably very poor," said Frances Cheslo, communications supervisor at Hill's in an industry email this week. "After being examined by veterinarians, they estimated they needed about 100 cases of canned cat food split between Science Diet Mature Adult Feline and Prescription Diet i/d Feline due to the fact they are mostly senior cats with oral health and gastrointestinal issues."

The Oakville Humane Society expressed its gratitude for the generous donation on its Facebook page, "It was a huge order, especially when you consider that Hill's Pet Nutrition already donates all our dry cat, dog, puppy and kitten food. The answer came back almost instantly and it was a resounding 'YES'!"

Photo courtesy of the Oakville Humane Society

IAMS supports Sandy victims

P&G Pet Care (Iams) announced via Facebook they will make efforts to support the animals affected by Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc on the east coast United States at the end of October. 

At P&G Pet Care, our hearts go out to all humans and animals affected by super storm Sandy. P&G will generously donate to help the 4-legged victims of this disaster once the human needs have stabilized and the infrastructure is in place to execute a donation. We will continue to evaluate the situation and update our Facebook pages with the details.

An interview with Petland’s, Amy Pawson

Petland “Share the Love” Donation Sticker Campaign a Success

Petland has been providing support and industry awareness to local communities for years. InfoStream had the opportunity to visit with Amy Pawson, Director of Operations, Petland Company Store Division, about the "Share the Love" Campaign, which ran from Feb. 1-14, 2012 in the Red Deer store.

InfoStream: Thanks for taking this time to speak with us, Amy. Can you please start off by telling us about the event, the goals and the stats you achieved with this event?
Pawson: Petland partnered with Alberta Animal Services (AAS) after attending the 2011 Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies in Red Deer. Together, we compared our visions, then took it to the next level by  partnering with in-store adoption space for AAS animals. We wanted to create awareness for adoptable animals, our partnership and what Alberta Animal Services does for the communities it serves.

The sticker donation campaign was driven by PetLand cashiers on the tills from Feb. 1-14. All donations were for Alberta Animal Services to reduce animal over population through spay and neuter programs. We are proud to say we raised $1,783.02. Our donation goal was to have at least 20% of people through the store donate and we achieved 21%. We also increased our Store Guest Flow from a goal of 12,106 and to 12,782. Overall we exceeded campaign goals and landed a very successful event.

On Saturday February 11th, 2012, we held an in-store event the goal of which was to promote Responsible Pet Ownership through pet identification, awareness of Alberta Animal Services and the in-store adoption partnership. We advertised through in store posters, staff promotion, radio public service announcements, radio commercials, an event radio remote, an Ad in the Red Deer Advocate newspaper and a Facebook online program.

InfoStream: What did customers find as they entered the store on the day of your event?
Pawson: We created a customer experience around adoptions. At the start of the event, we brought 12 adoptable animals into the store from Alberta Animal Services and now only 4 are left!

We also offered on-site Microchip implanting.  Twenty-six people had their pets permanently identified and registered in the PetLynx recovery system. Customers that heard about this offer came to see what the event was all about. Those who were not aware of the campaign were disappointed they hadn't brought their pet. Through this promotion, we learned there is a lack of information about microchips and recovery services as well as a misunderstanding about the implanting procedure. It turns out that many people are not implanting their pet with a microchip because they are scared about the effect of the procedure on the animal.

In addition, Alberta Animal Services had by-law officers available to educate and answer questions.  This created a softer feel about them and their role in the community. And of course for the children attending the event we gave away kids packages that included a tooth brush (for Dental Health month), a Petland colouring book and crayons. We also provided balloons and tattoos for the kids at the front of the store to engage them and provide interaction with the animals.

InfoStream: What other incentives did you have for the in-store event?
Pawson: Yes, we had three huge giveaways:
• A 1 year supply of pet food from  Hill's Science Diet
• A grooming package from Riverside Kennels and Spas
• A 1 year supply of Pet Health Insurance from Petsecure

InfoStream: Why was Red Deer chosen for this prototype event?
Pawson: We saw this as an opportunity to explore a more collaborative approach to the community with Riverside Kennels, Alberta Animal Services and our vendors. This event was not just a one-time, one-way initiative. This event has brought about new partnerships for us and has changed how we plan to do things in the future.

InfoStream: What would you say are the three top achievements of the event?
Pawson: The top three achievements would be the money raised, the animals that found new homes, and the awareness of the role each of us play as collaborators delivering services to pet families in the Red Deer community.

InfoStream: How do you feel this event has impacted the companion animal industry as well as the city of Red Deer?
Pawson: It has created awareness for collaboration in the companion animal industry throughout the community. The bylaw officers were a huge help in educating people on what exactly responsible pet ownership is and why proper identification can increase return-to-owner rates.

InfoStream: Based on the success of the event, are there plans to move an initiative like this to other Petland locations across Canada?
Pawson: Our next in-store launch will be at our Winnipeg location on March 3rd featuring an in-store adoption event for cats. Our goal is to obtain 1,001 donations for the Winnipeg Humane society and create awareness for the many adoptable animals they have in that community.

InfoStream: Amy, do you have any closing remarks about the event overall?
Pawson: It was nice to leave Red Deer knowing that we made an impact on the community. It reinforces for me why I do this job and why I work with organizations that understand a collaborative vision.  At the end of day it is about creating healthy communities for the pets and people we all serve. Everyone needs to play a role, we all have an impact and by working together we will all be more successful.

InfoStream: Thank you Amy for taking the time to share your vision and your achievements.  We wish you all the best at your future Petland events!

MOBILE GIVING: THE SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS KETTLE CAMPAIGN

For 120 years, The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Campaign has been an opportunity for the public to donate whatever funds they can to support the work of The Salvation Army during the Christmas season and throughout the year.  


In Canada, Christmas kettles were first used in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1906. Today, the familiar kettles and bell ringers are seen in more than 2,000 locations nationwide. You can help support the campaign right now with your cellphone - Text HOPE to 45678 and donate $5.


Visit the Salvation Army