MLM Philanthropy: making a large difference in the world

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Check out the amazing things some of the leading U.S. network marketing companies are doing to make the world a better place!

Part 1

When you go to most direct selling company websites, you see links like Charitable Giving, Making a Difference, Giving Back, etc. The topic is company philanthropy.  Philanthropy is defined as the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. Direct Selling News’ article “The Greater Good,” (April, 2010) sheds some light on the philanthropic trend we see in the direct selling industry today:

Leadership companies today approach their support of social or environmental issues as a way to demonstrate their values and responsible practices in action. As business becomes accountable to a variety of stakeholders within a highly transparent society, aligning with a cause has become an important and visible part of a company’s corporate responsibility efforts. Increasingly, companies are integrating their cause commitments into their business operations and product development to ensure they are aligned and each is reflective of the company’s core values, mission, principles and policies.  

Cone Study, 20081

1  Cone, a strategy and communications organization, has worked with companies like Avon and the American Heart Association to create effective cause initiatives that increase brand awareness and loyalty. For the past 15 years, the group has been studying trends in cause marketing.

Check out the amazing things some of the leading U.S. network marketing companies are doing to make the world a better place. The following information is taken from their websites.

Responding to the needs of the global community is part of the Nikken corporate vision, which includes an understanding that total wellness rests on the Five Pillars of Health: healthy mind, body, family, society, and finances. Nikken maintains a sponsorship, professional, or support relationship with numerous scientific, medical, and charitable organizations worldwide. The company has also been acknowledged as a leader in helping to promote a healthy society.

Magnetic Health Science FoundationUniversity of California, Irvine Medical Center Bioelectromagnetics Society Make-A-Wish Foundation The Hunger Project Autism Speaks The National Trust American Red CrossOne Highlight. Recognized in 2008 by the President of the United States for supporting a healthy society, Nikken received the President’s Call to Service Award. The award is conferred by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation upon individuals and groups in appreciation for serving the community and country. Nikken was honored for “building a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility.”

 To learn more about Nikken’s philanthropic efforts, click here.

The XanGo Goodness Foundation strives to raise social consciousness and mobilize XanGo's global resources to serve, support, and improve communities in need. Of particular interest to the organization is improving the lives of children around the world and mobilizing to address disasters and crises. The Foundation actively supports numerous philanthropic causes worldwide. This commitment includes monetary donations, advisory board participation, volunteer programs, and partnerships in medical expeditions, community education, and humanitarian efforts. From Asia to South America and spanning four continents, the Foundation is actively supporting respected, high-impact charities to improve the lives of children.

XanGo partners with respected, high-impact charities around the world to improve the lives of children:

Best BuddiesNational McGruff House NetworkNational Ability Center Drew Brees Dream FoundationChildren’s Organ Transplant AssociationSteve Young Forever Young FoundationSOS KinderdorfChildren’s Wish Foundation of CanadaThe Tuloy FoundationOperation SmileAmeriCaresChildren Charity AssociationVitamin AngelsUniversity of Utah Global Health AllianceXanGo provides assistance during disasters and crises. For example:

Bringing medical equipment and supplies to impoverished areas in Peru.Helping those affected by the tsunami in Thailand.Rebuilding dreams in New Orleans (U.S.) after Hurricane Katrina.Addressing sustainable, collaborative education and healthcare in rural Ghana.One Highlight.  XanGo is affiliated with Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-on-one friendships and integrated employment. Each year, XanGo sponsors Best Buddies Day. This event allows students from the local Best Buddies Chapter to partner with a XanGo employee “buddy” for a day to learn about their job and spend quality time and entertainment together.

To learn more about XanGo’s philanthropic efforts, click here.

The Avon Foundation, founded in 1955 with the goal of improving women’s lives, says its proud to be the largest corporate philanthropy dedicated to women's causes globally. The organization’s current dual mission:

Support breast cancer research and access to careAddress domestic and gender violence Breast Cancer Crusade. Funding supports awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research. Beneficiaries of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade range from leading cancer research and clinical centers to community-based, non-profit breast health education programs. The Avon Foundation for Women provides grants to organizations working to end breast cancer and domestic violence and that help those affected.

Speak Out Against Domestic Violence. To help end the devastating cycle of domestic violence, the Avon Foundation launched Speak Out Against Domestic Violence in 2004 to raise awareness. The organization funds and launches special efforts to increase the understanding and implementation of laws aimed at stopping violence.  Through the end of 2009, in the U.S. alone, Avon has awarded more than $12 million to over 400 domestic violence organizations for awareness, education, direct services, and prevention programs.

 Avon philanthropy has also responded in times of major global disasters, most recently to the earthquake in Haiti. Through 2009, Avon global philanthropy has raised and donated more than $725 million worldwide.

To learn more about Avon’s philanthropic efforts, click here.

Today, in every country and every community where Amway operates, thousands of employees and distributors support hundreds of charitable organizations to offer children the resources they need to live, achieve, learn—and of course—play.  The mission of Amway’s One by One Campaign for Children is to make a difference in the lives of children around the world by providing opportunities one person at a time.  The goal of this Campaign is to provide nourishment to children all over the world who suffer from “hidden hunger” and give them a fighting chance. The company is focusing on children from ages 1-5, where it knows impact on the neurological and physical development can have the greatest long-term positive effect. One by One rallies the resources of the entire Amway family–distributors, employees, affiliates, and customers. In addition to the One by One Campaign for Children, Amway has developed a formalized disaster relief process to enable response immediately and effectively to situations that arise around the world.

One Highlight: When two-time FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Assoc.) Player of the Year and Brazilian soccer phenomenon Ronaldinho signed onto a global endorsement representing Amway’s Nutrilite brand in 2008, he also became a global spokesperson for the Amway One by One Campaign for Children. In a unique program called Goal by Goal, Ronaldinho, who now plays for AC Milan, helps raise funds for children all over the world. For every goal Ronaldinho scores, Amway makes a $10,000 donation to a One by One charitable partner in the country where the goal was scored. And, every penny of that donation goes directly to children’s programs.

To learn more about Amway’s philantropic efforts, click here.

Tupperware is committed to social responsibility. The company believes that offering educational opportunities and building confident and accomplished young women are social investments that guarantee powerful returns for generations to come, and build a legacy of caring for tomorrow's leaders–our children. TheTupperware Brands Foundation funds initiatives that enlighten, educate, and empower women and girls globally.

Together with its sales force and customers, Tupperware creates impactful partnerships that enhance the quality of life in its communities. Tupperware connects with local needs in more than 100 countries.

One Highlight. Tupperware U.S. is the national sponsor of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s SMART Girls program.  At the heart of SMART Girls is the mentorship component. A relationship with a mentor is a powerful tool and many of the girls in the program are benefiting from having a Tupperware Brands female sales force member or associate as a mentor. The program reaches thousands of young girls, helping to stem the tide of high school dropouts; teen pregnancy; and the rising rates of alcohol, cigarette, and drug abuse.

To find out more about Tupperware's philanthropic efforts, click here.

The founders of MonaVie shared the belief that their company should generate abundance in many forms—health, prosperity, and well-being, which meant cultivating a culture where giving back was a built-in principle governing the actions of distributors and corporate leaders alike. The founders made certain to ensure that both giver—the land from which the acaî berry was harvested—and receiver—Mona Vie and its distributors—shared in this abundance. With the benefits MonaVie and its customers were reaping from this rich, potent berry, the question for them became, “What is the best way for us to share this abundance with the country who gave us the acai berry?”

The founders agreed that the most generous and meaningful way to give back was to bring hope to the citizens of Brazil whose circumstances prevented them from living safe, healthy lives and achieving their potential. The most pressing reason for giving back this way was the staggering needs of the 20+% of the population living in extreme poverty.

MonaVie’s MORE Project seeks to change lives and restore families living in poverty in Brazil. MORE adheres to a philosophy of love and compassion to support those whom society has left behind. MonaVie focuses on providing individuals with skills, resources, and support so they can free themselves and their families forever from the cycle of poverty and begin new lives filled with hope, health, and dignity.

The name of the project–MORE–reflects MonaVie’s vision and commitment to continuously do more to end the suffering of those in need in Brazil. The company provides critical resources, such as nutritious food and safe shelter, as well as loving support and educational training to help Brazilian families create a thriving future.

One Highlight: The MORE Project has numerous specialized programs whose overall aim is to provide critical care and support for some of Brazil’s most overlooked, impoverished children, adults, and families of Vila iparanga, a slum-located outside Rio de Janeiro. Projects focused on helping families include:

Rebuilding homes for families in extreme poverty.Providing emotional and educational support to help families thrive.Building a village—Village MonaVie—a beautiful sanctuary for children at risk. Here, children will learn important skills that will help them: 1) contribute to their families becoming stronger, more intact and supportive, and 2) lead their own stable and successful lives.To learn more about MonaVie’s philanthropic efforts, click here.

This quote from Tupperware seems to represent the overall sentiment on charitable giving among direct selling companies and their representatives:

            Giving back to the communities where we live and work is central to our history and culture.

Direct Selling News does a great job of summing things up:

At first glance, it is apparent that direct selling companies are driven by their dedication to help others.    Across the board, there is an eagerness to help that permeates the entire industry. “It seems to me that passionate people gravitate to direct selling,” says Kevin Guest, Chief Marketing Officer at USANA. “The industry is filled with good, giving, caring people who want to make the world a better place.”

In all actuality, cause participation is a perfect fit for the direct selling industry. If you think about it, charity is inherent in the business model. “Our entire business is about helping others,” Guest says. “The reason people become successful in this industry is that they help other people reach their goals. So it seems only natural to me that altruism would spill over into other aspects of their lives as well.”

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[Watch for Part 2 in this series to find out what other leading direct selling companies are doing to make our world a better place.]

View the original article here