Have you ever wondered where the tip/donation goes when you place an order? Today on the blog Hannah shares with us the wonderful ways Bear & Moo gives back.
The importance of giving
When I began Bear & Moo almost six years ago, I did it as a way to make money for our family, while giving me more time with the kids. I was working as a marriage celebrant which generally required me to work Saturdays in summer and I wanted that time back.
Right from the beginning, it’s been important to me that Bear & Moo feels like a community and not just a business. I love interacting with our customers, and that’s part of why I set up the Crew on Facebook.
Bear & Moo is now my family’s sole income source – my husband works for us (and is a stay-at-home Dad), and this is all I do, but it’s also now an income source for other families – our fab employees. As we’ve continued to grow and make money, it has been incredibly important to me that we give back, and I wanted to share with you some of the ways in which we do this as a business.
Each month we donate $200 to a charity or cause. We ask for suggestions in the Crew or on Instagram and try to involve our customers. Some of the causes we have donated to so far include Give a Kid a Blanket, Rainbow Youth, The Neonatal Trust, Waikato Shoebox Christmas, The Cake Detective, Women’s Refuge – Safe Night, Mummy’s in Need, Ronald McDonald House, I Am Hope (Gumboot Friday), Starship and The Mum’s Clique.
We also donate all of our ‘seconds’ products. These could have a wonky stitch or an upside-down logo but are in fully functional condition. These have previously gone to The Cloth Nappy Community Fund, or to organisations who distribute them to those who need them.
There’s lots of little things we do, like giving discount codes for goody bags and organisations, donating product to fundraisers and giveaways, and giving warehouse space to The Neonatal Trust to use free of charge.
Christmas is one of my favourite times as we get to go shopping! We head to the supermarket and to the shops and purchase toys, food and gifts to donate. We also participate in the local Shoebox Christmas as both a drop off point and a donor.
And then we get to involve you guys! At the checkout there is an option to add a tip. This is actually a donation, and each month we combine this money and turn it into nappies, along with our seconds pile, and donate them to an organisation that can use them. Previously these have gone to places like House of Grace (a home for teen parents) in both Hamilton and Wellington, and to an ECE who wanted to supply cloth for the children in their care.
We are really proud of all the little things we do. They’re not going to save the world, but as we grow, our giving can too. It’s important for us to recognise what we have, and be thankful for that, and to help others where we can.
This is all because of you guys – the sales bring in money which allows us to pass some of that profit on. The donations at the checkout all build up to allow us to give more. The business growth allows us to hire more staff, contributing to their livelihood.
So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. We can’t do what we do without you, and we really love what we do!
Hannah
xox
