We became members of 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses, nonprofits and individuals working together for a healthy planet, in 2018 – pledging our commitment to donate at least 1% of our revenue towards environmental charities and nonprofits, with the aim of having a more positive impact on the planet.
We have been partnering with several charitable organisations for the past two years, including of course the fantastic B Lab UK, as we are certified B Corporation, online pledging platform for the planet Do Nation and The Green Web Foundation, who like us, work to speed up the transition towards a green Internet. We are also members of the Surfers Against Sewage 250 club, supporting their work to protect the UK’s coastal environment.
Last year our charity of the year partner was climate action charity Possible, with whom our team volunteered alongside Repowering London and Demand Energy Equality, to put together some solar panels for a local community project.
Towards the end of 2019, we added two new partnerships, with Eden Reforestation Projects and the UK based Trees for Life, as part of our commitment to not only reducing our impact on the environment, but becoming a truly regenerative business.
Our 2020 charity of the year – Crees Foundation
This year, when deciding who our 1% for the Planet charity partner of the year would be, we had a new challenge to consider – that of COVID-19. Thanks to our ongoing planning, we are fortunate enough to be in a position to continue our support for all of our charity partners, and we wanted to think about the impact the coronavirus would have on some of the charities we have worked with.
We first came across ecotourism organisation Crees Manu in 2015, working with them to maintain their existing website. Then in 2017, we redesigned their website to increase their impact by helping them to attract more volunteers to help in their mission to support a more sustainable Amazon. We were impressed by their work in empowering the people of Manu to achieve sustainable livelihoods and improved living standards through ecotourism experiences that support local conservation and community projects.
Following the creation of their new website, we have continued to maintain an ongoing relationship with the Crees team. This year, they of course have been adversely affected by the global impact the virus has had, both directly and indirectly, because volunteers are no longer able to travel to support their projects. So, for 2020, we have chosen to support Crees as our charity of the year, by providing our WordPress maintenance service free of charge for 6 months. This service is designed to provide peace of mind to our clients, and with the huge challenges that Crees are facing, we wanted to offer our ongoing support at no charge, to see the team through this time so that their website is one less thing for them to worry about, until they can once again begin welcoming new interns and volunteers.
Ongoing action for the planet
One of the reasons we have several charity partners, who we support in various ways over the years, is because occasional action in only one area is not enough to combat the climate emergency we are facing. We also support further charitable organisations outside of our 1% for the Planet partnerships, and we have specific measurable goals, which are all part of our mission to make sure our impact on the world is a positive one.
We encourage all businesses to continue to support charities aligned with your mission, especially through this challenging time if you are able, so that they can continue with their vital work to make a difference to people and planet. If you would like to learn how you can make a difference to the planet by donating 1% of your profits as a business, or 1% of your salary as an individual, then head over to 1% for the Planet and see how you contribute to building a better future for us all by being ‘one percent better’.