Empowering Individuals in the Global Community Through Entrepreneurship
Custom Contributions provide a way for Whole Foods Market suppliers and other generous donors to support Whole Planet Foundation in unique, innovative ways at any time of the year. 100% of Custom Contribution funds support project expansion efforts in our global communities, as Whole Foods Market covers all of our operating expenses. We would like to give special thanks to the following suppliers, companies and individuals:
Whole Foods Market supplier partner SR Max donated $8,000 to Whole Planet Foundation to help entrepreneurs in our global communities. SR Max supplies Whole Foods Market stores companywide with slip resistant shoes to help keep our Team Members safe while on the job.
Cliff from SR Max says, "Poverty is everyone’s concern – and though SR Max is primarily focused on providing slip resistant footwear to protect employees at work, it’s a company that also recognizes the importance of supporting those who may need our help. We are very happy to have the opportunity to give back in this unique manner. As a family-owned company, we know how important it is to take care of those who may need some extra help. To be able to help in such a direct way, via the Whole Planet Foundation, is something we can all believe in and we are proud to partner with such an amazing organization for such a fantastic foundation and cause. Thank you for allowing us the ability to make a difference."
Thank you SR Max for your continued support. Your donation will fund nearly 50 loans empowering 280 people with a chance for a better life.
Santa Cruz based female-artist Maia Negre has been donating a portion of the proceeds from her gift cards sold in select Whole Foods Market stores. Her partnership with Whole Planet Foundation helps fund and empower aspiring entrepreneurs in global communities with microloans. Maia has been producing breath-taking art for private individuals, businesses, philanthropic and ocean/surf organizations for the past 7 years. She is thrilled to be a part of Whole Planet Foundation's philanthropic movement and is enjoying this opportunity to forge new partnerships and make the needed difference for individuals and the planet, one card at a time. You can learn more about Maia and her work by visiting her website or by staying connected through Facebook.
For every bar of their Sustainable Suds sold, Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap to prevent water-related deaths for millions of children each year, through their "buy a bar, give a bar" program. Owner Bill Glaab said, "At Hand in Hand it is extremely important that the soap we donate, does not create a culture of dependency or put local merchants out of business. We specifically focus our efforts and donations towards disaster relief, so that we do not adversely impact local people and economies." The foundation needed for sustainable economic growth, specifically in the developing world, are thriving small businesses. By partnering with Whole Planet Foundation, Hand in Hand is helping to secure microcredit loans for local businesses to get back on their feet, or get the jump start they need. Offering a microcredit loan to a small business empowers the individual, which in turn, strengthens their community. For every bar of of our Sustainable Suds purchased, Hand in Hand will make a donation directly to Whole Planet to help fund microcredit loans. Learn more and purchase soap online: http://handinhandsoap.com/.
Santa Cruz, California-based artist/designer Tim Ward has created iconic logos and images that are recognized planet-wide. His line of custom-shaped sea-life and wild-life stickers are a huge hit wherever they’re sold. Tim Ward Art Studios donates 5% of its proceeds to various environmental, educational and other endeavors. Tim said, “Many are born into limited resources- potential innovators, farmers, artists. Helping others to achieve productivity in their own creative endeavors is a great way to give back. To help those who are less fortunate, yet who are striving to create, that’s natural.”
In May, One Source Distribution donated $50,000 to support Whole Planet Foundation. Their generosity will create 335 new microloans that will change the lives of nearly 2,000 people.
This year, Austin-based Screamer Co. supported Whole Planet Foundation through their Jumpstart program. Our goal together was to develop a unified message strategy that personally connects people and potential donors to the Whole Planet Foundation mission that results in more online donations. We look forward to our continued partnership to roll this plan out next year!
In January, California-based company Back to the Rootshosted a party on their farm and donated all the proceeds to Whole Planet Foundation. Back to the Roots was founded by Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora during their last semester at UC Berkeley in 2009. Two months away from graduation, and heading into the corporate world of investment banking & consulting, they came across the idea during a class lecture of being able to potentially grow gourmet mushrooms entirely on recycled coffee grounds. Inspired by the idea of turning waste into wages & fresh, local food, they experimented in Alex's fraternity kitchen, ultimately growing one test bucket of tasty oyster mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds. With that one bucket, some initial interest from Whole Foods & Chez Panisse and a $5,000 grant from the UC Berkeley Chancellor for social innovation, they decided to forget the corporate route, and instead, become full-time urban mushroom farmers!
Inspired by the idea of producing local, fresh food from what was an urban waste stream, Back to the Roots has since grown to create the Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden which lets anyone, across the country, grow their own gourmet mushrooms at home as well! Check out this article to learn more about how Back to the Roots got started with Whole Foods Market!
In March, Twinings of London® donated $2,000 to fund microlending projects Whole Planet Foundation. For over 300 years, Twinings of London has pursued passion and commitment to one thing – delivering the world’s finest tea experience. As a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Twinings of London® believes that delivering the finest tea experience goes beyond providing great-tasting teas. It involves producing teas in a way that is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. That is why every Twinings Organic item is also Fair Trade certified. So whether it’s a refreshing Black, a soothing Green or a flavorful Herbal tea, “we’re sure we’ll make your teatime well worth every sip.”
Cheers to 50 years with the Knudsen family! In celebration of their 50th anniversary, RW Knudsen made a $5,000 donation to Whole Planet Foundation in August. Knudsen’s products helped build the natural foods market, in more ways than one. Not only did their unique juice offerings provide more delicious options and alternatives to conventional juices, but they helped Whole Foods Market survive and grow. Literally! In 1981, when Austin suffered from the worst flood in 70 years, the first Whole Foods Market store was wiped out of inventory from flood waters. It was devastating, but generous help from customers, neighbors and vendors like Knudsen who contributed products helped to restore and restock the store after the flood. With their aid, the store was able to reopen within 28 days. Through Knudsen’s generous custom contribution, Whole Planet Foundation will be able to fund 23 microloans that give 140 people an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
During Ramadan, Saffron Road ran a campaign on their Facebook page pledging to give $0.50 for each new 'like' they received to Whole Planet Foundation and The International Federation of Red Cross & Red Cresent Societies. Saffron Road debuted nationally in July 2010 in Whole Foods Market stores as the world’s first all-natural, Halal-certified, anti-biotic free and certified humane frozen entree. The company seeks to bring its mission and faith-based values to a higher calling with the local and global community, embodying a socially-conscious company ethic, as well as being a dedicated to sustainable farming practices. Supporting Whole Planet Foundation’s poverty alleviation efforts gives Saffron Road the change to give back to and create long-lasting impact in our global communities. In keeping with its socially responsible mission and to celebrate Earth Day, Saffron Road also donated $1,000 to Whole Planet Foundation in April.
United Kingdom supplier Peregrine Trading (Seggiano Foods) donated £300 ($470 USD) to Whole Planet Foundation. Seggiano is the name of a small hilltop village at 450 metres on Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany, where Peri Eagleton and David Harrison have farmed Olivastra olives on their certified organic smallholding since 1985. Their range of specialty foods is named in honor of the tiny village where their story started.
New Jersey Home Construction, Inc. has donated $1,000 to Whole Planet Foundation every year since 2007. Their generous contributions have created 22 microloans that will give 130 people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
Advertising With Wit is the promotional products store for Whole Foods Market stores, facilities and offices, and they generously donate 10% from the sale of all Whole Planet Foundation branded gear on their website to support the Foundation’s expansion efforts. Advertising With Wit has donated a total of $6,324.77 to the Foundation since 2008.
Premiere Global Services offers conference call services to Whole Foods Market. Since 2010, they have donated $31,128.71 to Whole Planet Foundation. Through their service to Whole Foods Market and their generosity in supporting the Foundation, they are helping the world to make meaningful connections and to alleviate poverty.
Emergen-C, through their Facebook "Like It Forward" campaign, donated $0.20 for each new like they received to their four charity partners with $2,544.14 going to Whole Planet Foundation. Emergen-C has raised more than $50,000 for non-profits, 20 cents at a time.
Food Should Taste Good is a Whole Foods Market supplier partner that believes food can do good, so they created Food Should Do Good™ to funnel all their “good” efforts to give back to our communities, their employees and the environment. Between 2010 and 2011, Food Should Taste Good proudly donated more than $250,000 in monetary donations to various organizations, including $1,000 to support Whole Planet Foundation.
Organic Valley, with their like-minded values, donated $500 to Whole Planet Foundation to fund two microloans that will give 18 people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,636 farmers in 34 states and three Canadian provinces focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming. They are committed to making a positive impact in our world, from their local communities to the larger communities that work to protect values shared by the Organic Valley Family of Farms.
A client of The Sagalyn Literary Agency donated their book royalties to Whole Planet Foundation in the amount of $10,625.
Whole Foods Market supplier Preserve is the leading producer of performance-driven and stylish 100% recycled household products. If you’re serious about recycling, you know that most communities don’t accept #5 plastic containers for recycling, and those communities that do accept #5s are generally forced (by poor economics) into bundling them with other plastics to form a mixed plastic bale. This mixed plastic bale is of low value and is often shipped overseas to an unknown end of life. Preserve and their partners created the Gimme 5 program to offer a simple way to save these plastics and make sure they have a second life. Now you can enjoy all of those great products that come packaged in #5 plastic, save them up, clean them out and drop them at any Whole Foods Market store – just look for the Preserve Gimme 5 bin. In November, one way the Gimme 5 partners thanked recyclers for their participation was by making a $1,000 donation on their behalf to Whole Planet Foundation. "We want to thank all those Gimme 5 Recyclers out there who have supported and helped to grow this program," said Preserve Founder and CEO Eric Hudson.
Take 5 Massage offers chair massages in Florida and Whole Foods Market stores in the area and has been donating a percent of their massage sales to Whole Planet Foundation since 2008 with a grand total of $892.
Big Joe Leasing & Rentals, LLC made a $2,500 contribution to Whole Planet Foundation. “We supply the Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California with Material handling forklift and pallet storage equipment and services,” said Big Joe CEO Boyd Kiefus. “We at Big Joe believe Whole Foods Market is a great organization, and the Foundation is an excellent program to assist those that need it most. We are proud to be associated on both the vendor and contributor side.”
From October through December, Whole Foods Market supplier partner SR Max donated $8,584 to Whole Planet Foundation to help entrepreneurs in our global communities. SR Max supplies Whole Foods Market stores companywide with slip resistant shoes to help keep our Team Members safe while on the job.
For more than 15 years, Shoes for Crews has partnered with Whole Foods Market in helping to reduce Team Member slip and fall accidents. In support of Whole Planet Foundation, Shoes for Crews committed to donate $1 to the Foundation for every pair of slip-resistant footwear sold to Whole Foods Market Team Members between October-December, raising more than $7,449. “Shoes for Crews is glad to be a part of the Whole Foods Market safety program, and we appreciate the opportunity through Whole Planet Foundation to make a difference in the world one slip-resistant step at a time,” said a company representative.
Valley Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving the diverse communities of the Bay Area and is also the credit union for Whole Foods Team Members in Northern California. They helped support the mission of Whole Planet Foundation by generating awareness and through a $500 donation to empower the poor through microcredit.
RBC Capital Markets made a $10,000 donation to help support microfinance projects around the world. Their generous contribution created 44 microloans that will give 262 people the opportunity to change their own lives. As 100% of their contribution
To learn more, contact WPF’s Marketing and Outreach Specialist, Lauren Evans at lauren.evans@wholefoods.com.
