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ON OUR MINDS
Brought to you this week by McPherson Strategies account director Isabelle Jetté, whose soft spot for holiday tunes harks back to her caroling days.
#GivingTuesday’s new kid on the block
Khloe Thompson is about to burst onto the social good scene in a major way. Inspired by how #GivingTuesday has grown into the biggest single-day giving movement in the world, the 12-year-old Los Angeles native is “rallying kids all over the world to create an epic moment of generosity.” #GivingTuesdayKids will take place on December 3 alongside #GivingTuesday to encourage young people worldwide to take action and give back to the causes they care about most. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Khloe hopes to see one million kids participate in the campaign’s inaugural year – if you would like to help or have children who wish to participate, you can learn more here.
Green is the new Black Friday
Earlier this week, Gucci made the bold announcement that it will begin offsetting its entire supply chain carbon footprint while also compelling fashion house CEOs and broader corporate community executives to pledge the same by signing the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge launched by Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzari. This is welcomed news, particularly given the fashion industry’s notoriously high greenhouse gas emissions – which total more than those of all international flights and maritime voyages combined. Given Gucci’s spectacular revenue growth in recent years (thanks to a newfound Millennial base) the move seems like a safe bet – but it’s also an inherently smart one that should help assure the company’s long-term sustainability. While many fashion and retail brands have floundered, others that have made public commitments to combat climate change, including Patagonia and REI, have grown their affinity with younger progressive audiences and enjoyed the dividends. Not bad timing on Gucci’s part, considering Black Friday is just around the corner.
Cook, host and travel more sustainably over the holidays
As climate change, food supply and health concerns hit unprecedented levels, you may be rethinking the feast fit for a king that you’ve prepared for Thanksgiving and the holidays in years past. Especially considering that every year during Thanksgiving week alone, Americans throw out more than 200 million pounds of turkey. While the notion of a 100-mile Thanksgiving may be unfeasible for many, Martha Stewart, the Smithsonian, Better Homes & Gardens and The Points Guy offer many easy sustainable practices that you can apply to curb your carbon, waste, and water footprint. To share a few: if you decide to eat a meal with meat protein, consider purchasing locally – or substituting with chicken, which uses a fraction of the fossil fuels required to produce turkey. Use the “Guestimator” to make sure you don’t buy more than you need. Get creative and fall in love with these leftover recipes! And lastly, if air travel is unavoidable, look into carbon offsets – it’s much cheaper than you think.
ON OUR RADAR
Shop for good:
We’re thrilled to introduce our first-ever holiday gift guide for good! All of the featured companies and products are amazing in their own right and help make the world a better place. Peruse away and start checking off those on your list who’ve been especially nice this year!
- O, the Oprah Magazine’s 30 Gifts that Give Back: This roundup is a great place to start if you’re just beginning your holiday shopping and need some inspo – and you know if Oprah gives it her seal of approval, it’s going to be good. Some usual suspects include Toms and S’well, and we were also thrilled to learn Michelle Obama has developed an entire line of uplifting merchandise that gives back, tied to the launch of her book, Becoming.
- Uncommon Goods: This B Corp connects makers and their creations with shoppers looking for truly unique goods, which are often reclaimed or recycled, and always free of leather, feathers, and fur. UG’s 2019 holiday gift guide just dropped, and it has something for everyone – we’re personally eyeing this stunning upcycled sari and castaway gemstone necklace.
- Lingua Franca: Founder Rachelle Hruska produces gorgeous sustainably-sourced, fair trade luxury cashmere sweaters, all hand-stitched by women in NYC who are earning a living wage, with part of the proceeds earmarked to do more good in the world.
- Mara Hoffman: Mara Hoffman’s eponymous line of clothing uses responsibly sourced organic, recycled and regenerated materials whenever possible. It also runs a take-back program to give old garments new life.
- Tiffany & Co.’s Save the Wild collection: Our client Tiffany has a long history of supporting wildlife conservation. Since the collection's launch in 2017 – of which 100% of the profits are donated to the Wildlife Conservation Network – Tiffany & Co. has consistently exceeded its donation pledge and raised more than $5 million.
- Loop & Tie: Struggling to find the right gift for everyone on your team this year? Remove the guesswork by allowing your employees to choose the gift that’s perfect for them from a curated list. And every gift sold supports Loop & Tie’s 430 creators and makers launch and grow their businesses. Gifting, made simple.
We’ll continue to expand our gift guide, so please be sure to check our upcoming McP Memo for more ideas.
Read:
Cheer:
- At this week's Power of Purpose hosted by The Atlantic, client Cognizant U.S. Foundation and partners Microsoft Philanthropies and Walmart.org announced a joint $3 million in funding for CodePath.org, a nonprofit that's transforming computer science education to build a more inclusive technology workforce. Read more about the collaboration.
- Congratulations to Susan’s good friend Emily Ramshaw Haskins who, alongside colleague Amanda Zamora, is leaving her post as Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune to launch a national news organization that will give women the tools and information they need to fully participate in democracy and civic life. We’re thrilled for this exciting new move, brava!
Listen:
- Every year, NPR puts out a comprehensive compilation of heartwarming stories that explore the meaning and history behind Thanksgiving. Tune in next week, or if you’re eager to have your fill sooner (pun intended), there’s plenty of good fare here from previous years.
Share:
Watch:
- From our friends at Participant Media, Dark Waters tells the shocking and heroic story of an attorney (played by Mark Ruffalo) who risks his career and family to uncover a dark secret hidden by one of the world's largest corporations and to bring justice to a community exposed for decades to deadly chemicals. Out in select theaters this Friday, November 22.
Subscribe:
- Boston College’s Center for Corporate Citizenship provides a host of newsletter digests and resources, all designed to help inform your corporate citizenship objectives and business goals.
- Our client The Riveter’s newsletter is a smart bi-weekly roundup of thoughts, insights, and news about women and work, with original content and exclusive Q&As with the leaders and changemakers who are helping make the future of work equitable for all.
- #5SmartReads is a weekly digest of the 25 smartest reads – covering news, culture, health, and issues facing women – run by Hitha Palepu of Hitha On the Go.
Go:
- Registration is now live for Philanthropy Plugged In: Creating Community in the Digital Age hosted by our client, the Women's Philanthropy Institute. Come visit our Chicago team March 31-April1 and learn more about the intersection of philanthropy, gender and technology.
- Our dear friend, the one and only Stacy London, is hosting one of her brilliant pop-up sales this Saturday – if you’re in NYC and looking for one-of-a-kind, purposeful and beautiful collector's items and gifts, we highly recommend you stop by: November 23 from 12-5pm, 355 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn.
Apply:
- CNBC Digital is looking to hire a talented Work Editor to lead its work and career coverage for a broad consumer audience under its NYC-based Make It brand.
- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago is seeking a Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to oversee the development and implementation of its comprehensive corporate and foundation fundraising program.
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