Spoiler: because it makes you feel good and because it does A LOT of good!
As the owner of a small business, I made it my priority to give back from day one. When you work for yourself as I do, you’re not really working for yourself. You’re working for the customers you serve. For our online business, which is rooted in celebrating life, love and exploring the world, that can be upwards of 2500-3000 new people a year. That’s a lot of different bosses in a lot of different communities!
Thanks to these amazing people, we make sure that $1 from every order we get goes to a charitable cause locally, nationally and internationally. We want to support our communities. As avid travelers, that includes our hometown of Pittsburgh PA, throughout the United States and worldwide. When we say we love and support everyone, we are not just saying that. We actually mean it.
Our primary focus is on taking care of those that do not have a voice of their own. The animals and pets of the world. We donate exclusively to the Turks and Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Turks and Caicos, who can always use the help. In Pittsburgh, we like to support various organizations, often rotating from year to year. In 2018, we are looking forward to sponsoring an indoor kennel for the new facility that the Washington Area Humane Society most desperately needed. We also supported our two-legged friends with the American Diabetes Association, local schools within the city, and sadly, the Tree of Life Synagogue victims, families and organization.
I will be honest when I say I used to feel a little uncomfortable about sharing our contributions. Since our business is focused on giving back, it’s just a big part of who we are. Our reasons for contributing are not because of “getting a tax write off” as some may think (only C-Corps, aka BIG businesses get tax benefits from charitable donations). We really are doing this because we want to help in any way that we can.
Giving- even a little-can change a life. Too often as individuals we may think that we cannot help. That the problem is too big for us to contribute. However, when broken down into smaller chunks, $25 can give a vaccination, feed a child, feed or care for a stray dog or cat, or contribute to a brick in the wall of a much needed facility.
So why should you and why do we want to give to charitable causes?
- To give back. To help our communities flourish, excel, be healthy and happy.
- To see joy on the faces of people as well as the animals in need.
- To know that, no matter how big or small the efforts we contribute, that we have made a difference in some way.
- Because it makes us feel good to help. Especially when we see the results and efforts our favorite charities are making.
- And for us personally, because it’s rooted in what we care most about: the people and animals of our communities.
This #givingtuesday why not send a little extra love to a charity or cause you care deeply about?