Why We’ve Chosen to Give Back 1% to The Planet
I’m writing this in the air as I travel back to Seattle from an amazing week spent in New York City. This was the second year that I attended the Global Summit, the annual conference that is hosted by 1% For the Planet. Minty Made has been a member of their network since 2021, meaning that we contribute a minimum of 1% of our annual revenue to environmental and social justice nonprofit organizations of our own choosing.
To give a brief history of how this organization started, it was created by Yvon Chonaird, the author of Let My People Go Surfing and the Founder of Patagonia. With all of the greenwashing that goes on with businesses making claims on the ways that they give back to environmental causes, he set out to create an avenue that made it easier for for-profit organizations to contribute in a way that is easily measured and is equitable for all. In addition to monetary contributions, business members can also choose to donate projects, service time or volunteer hours in the form of in-kind donations.
Before I dive into the recap of this year’s summit and the reasons why we chose to become a member, I’d like to highlight a few of the organizations that we regularly support with our annual contributions:
Intersectional Environmentalist
Intersectional Environmentalist is a climate justice collective radically imagining a more equitable and diverse future of environmentalism. I had been following their founder, Leah Thomas, for quite some time on Instagram before she launched the organization. I had the chance to meet her in person and get a copy of her book signed at the Global Summit in Los Angeles in 2022. Their website states, “When communities of color, who are impacted the most by environmental injustices and are also leading the way in creating solutions, are included in environmental decision-making, movements, and educational systems, environmentalism will be brighter, more equitable, and more revolutionary for all.”
They provide tool kits and tons of resources for both individuals and businesses to help further amplify these voices. It’s especially important for environmentalists in power to recognize all that we can learn from the ancestral histories of historically underrepresented communities.
Their work has inspired me so much that it was the basis for the introduction to intersectionality part of the curriculum that I developed for The Green Marketing Academy. I encourage all of our students and businesses that we train to spend some time reading through these resources and learn new ways to become more active in this movement for justice.
The Outdoorist Oath
Image Credit: The Outdoorist Oath
Another incredible organization that is prioritizing diversity and inclusion in the outdoor space is the Outdoorist Oath. Founded by Teresa Baker, José González, and Pattie Gonia, the Outdoorist Oath supports a different and healthier outdoors through a commitment to action any outdoorist can take to support our planet, inclusion, and adventure.
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I’ll be honest that it had never crossed my mind that certain groups such as the LGBTQIA+ community had experienced discrimination in this space. The foundation of the oath is built upon the Reasonable Person Model and Systems Change thinking, both of which you can read about on their website here.
I had the pleasure of meeting one of their staff members who is local to the Seattle area and I look forward to introducing them to some of our clients in hopes of facilitating a few workshops and establishing new partnership opportunities.
What Sets the Global Summit Apart
I’ve been to my fair share of trade shows, business conferences and events over the last decade of my career. I can honestly say that the 1% For The Planet Global Summit is the best environment that I’ve been a part of. Why? First and foremost, it comes down to sharing common core values.
Core Values are Shared Amongst All Attendees
Have you ever walked into a networking event and immediately felt you didn’t belong or you just had a sense that these weren’t your people? I certainly have and it can feel extremely uncomfortable. Walking into the opening event at the Global Summit is completely the opposite of this experience. You can skip the small talk and almost immediately dive into purposeful conversations about what change you’d like to see in the world. It’s truly a breath of fresh air knowing that everyone attending has a common goal in mind: to create meaningful change for people and the planet.
Prioritizing Mental and Physical Health
Something else that I’ve found to be unique to this conference is that they offer several health and wellness sessions that all focus on being present. From yoga to meditation to flexibility sessions, there are always a variety of opportunities to include intentional movement and mindfulness. At the 2023 Global Summit, I attended a session centered around ways that we can lessen our climate anxiety, hosted by the Climate Mental Health Network. We literally sat on the floor, shoes off on cozy bolsters from Avocado Mattress and talked in groups about the ways in which we can help spread support and kindness rather than going the route of doomsday messaging and fear. They also provided a graphic that they created called the Climate Emotions Wheel, which made it easy to identify and pinpoint what we are feeling on a daily basis.
We also had the option to attend morning rooftop yoga sessions, hosted by Wander Home as well as a much needed afternoon movement and shakeout hosted by our very own client, Experience Momentum.
Finally, the meals available at the host venue are always plant-forward and absolutely delicious. As someone who is sensitive to gluten, I appreciated having so many options to choose from without feeling like I was missing out. I also had a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that was the best I ever had (shoutout to the Wiliam Vale) And those are strong words coming from someone who has had a lot of memorable cookies in her life!
Meaningful Workshops that Drive Change and Encourage Action
One of the other aspects that I very much appreciate about this particular conference is that the breakout sessions and workshops are less about listening to someone speak and more of a hands-on approach to solving a particular issue and having respectful and action-oriented conversations.
At the 2023 conference, I attended a session hosted by Rosebud Resource group on the topic of going beyond land acknowledgements. It rightfully forced everyone in the room to hold space for an emotionally-heavy topic but was facilitated in a way that guided us to take action rather than feel shame around all of the things we aren’t doing or haven’t gotten right the first time. I took away some key action items from the session that we are in the process of implementing within our business. The Rosebud group offers this same training virtually and it’s available to all, so I highly recommend checking it out.
Giving Back through Volunteer Work
The cherry on top of this event is that they always include an off-site volunteering component, typically at the end of the conference. It’s hosted by a member partner or organization and it directly benefits the local community in some way. In 2022, the Los Angeles Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation hosted a beach cleanup. In 2023, we had three different events to choose from. I attended the option hosted by Avocado Green Mattress that tasked our group with making 3,500 mesh bags to fill with food to feed those in need. Volunteering time as an individual is rewarding in itself, but there’s a greater power of community and collective action when it takes place in a big group of new friends that you met just a few days prior. In less than two hours, we smashed our original record number of bags and provided supplies to the community for years to come.
Conclusion
It’s hard to put into words how proud I feel that our business is part of this incredible network of changemakers and visionaries who share the same intentions, but this is my best attempt! I’m already looking forward to reconnecting with so many friends at future Global Summits. As a self-made entrepreneur, the feeling of belonging to a greater collective is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of owning a business.
If you’re curious about becoming a member, I highly encourage you to reach out to us or check out the 1% For The Planet website here.