As we get closer to the holidays, there will undoubtedly be an increasing number of non-profit organizations looking for financial contributions. To prompt us into giving, some of the more well-known groups will spend the bulk of their marketing budgets (aka previous donation monies) mailing out unasked-for greeting cards, key chains, umbrellas or the umpteenth 2010 calendar, etc. I recognize people tend to want something in return for being charitable, but I’ve never understood the point of giving them unwanted or worse poorly made items that are doomed to end up in the landfill.
Finally, someone has thought of a way to make contributing a win-win for everyone. The folks at Frontier Natural Products Co-Op have teamed up with Vitamin Angels to create Unconventional Angels – a program designed to help malnourished children around the world by providing them with vitamins and dietary supplements. Frontier has determined that for 25 cents, they, along with Vitamin Angels, can provide enough micronutrients to reduce a child’s mortality by 23%.
To raise the proceeds, this fall Frontier will be distributing one million free coupon books to leading natural product retailers that consumers can use to save money on their favorite natural brands from Frontier. The coupon books, which are good throughout 2010, offer consumers more than $40 in saving on natural and organic products.
Not only have they figured out a way to raise awareness about this cause, these two groups are showing consumers how they can have a direct impact on children’s lives by participating in the coupon book program. Pretty smart if you ask me! Well, smart that is for Frontier, the non-profit and natural food retailers such as Whole Foods. According to Susan Fecko, director of marketing and business development for Vitamin Angels, mainstream retailers including several prominent grocery companies were offered this same opportunity, but sadly, none signed up.
