When it comes to business, making a profit is cool. But making a difference? That's even cooler.
In fact, consumers expect it from today's brands. If you sell a really awesome product and make the world a better place, everyone wins!
Think about the number associated with Snow White. GIF from "Saturday Night Live."
Here's a question though: How often do you see your donation in action? Better yet, how well do you know the actual cause behind the brand?
Sevenly is a social good company that puts the charity front and center.
(Literally. On all their products.)
Founded in 2011 by Aaron Chavez and Dale Partridge, Sevenly's mission was simple: Every seven days, they feature a different charity and sell custom-designed apparel promoting it. Then, for every item sold, they donate $7 back to the cause.
Currently on deck. Image via Sevenly/Facebook.
It was a bold plan in the beginning. But with a little elbow grease and a lot of Facebook marketing (they have over 400,000 fans!), they soon got close to a million site visitors every month. As of today, they've raised over $4 million and have significantly expanded their product line.
What's truly inspiring, though, is seeing exactly how they're helping nonprofits around the world.
Here are some of the amazing stories that Sevenly was a HUGE part of. (And to keep in the spirit of things, we picked our seven favorite ones.)
1. Helping this family preserve the beautiful memory of the baby they lost.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
For every 1,000 babies born in the United States, six are lost to infant mortality. It's a painful ordeal, but Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep gives families another way to cherish the memory of their child. With a network of over 1,700 professional photographers working for free, they capture images meant to aid in the family's healing process and to honor the child's legacy forever.
2. Giving this young boy with seizures a service dog to protect him.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
4 Paws for Ability provides service dogs for children with special needs. Not only does that assist the family, but it gives the child a stronger sense of independence during their formative years.
3. Connecting kids with the support groups they need.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. among young people aged 10 to 24. Enter Love is Louder, a support community for children struggling with bullying, discrimination, body image, anxiety, or depression. When it's hard to speak up, sometimes you need a little help to raise the volume on important issues.
4. Fighting to end gendercide in India.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
A staggering 50 million girls and women are lost from India's population because of gendercide alone. The Invisible Girl Project is trying to put a stop to it once and for all. They also bring much-needed attention to this important issue and continue to empower survivors.
5. Helping rescue people forced into human trafficking.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
According to some reports, there have been over 25,000 reported cases of human trafficking in the United States since 2007. The Polaris Project is at the forefront of the fight to end this despicable form of slavery. These people are victims of circumstance and deserve the freedom to live a normal life.
6. Delivering clean water to Haiti.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
Close to 40% of Haiti's population has no direct access to potable water and even fewer have access to a toilet. But Water Missions International is doing its best to improve those conditions. They bring safe water to developing countries in need all around the world — whether it's for sustenance or sanitation, clean water is a human right.
7. Working to fix this young boy's legs.
Image via Facebook Stories.
According to the World Health Organization, there is a severe lack of medical providers, especially in developing nations. But help is on the way! Mercy Ships is the world's largest private hospital that travels through sea. With their team of professionals on board, they perform life-saving surgeries for children in need all around the world.
You know what, though? Sevenly does so much good that it's pretty hard to name just seven stories. So here's one more just because.
8. Helping rescue dogs from abusive owners.
Image via Sevenly/YouTube.
Sadly, the laws protecting animal rights are not as strong as they could be in some states. Despite that, the Humane Society of the United States has saved the lives of countless animals. No matter the species, all living beings deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.
When you put a face to a cause, it makes the message that much more powerful.
It allows us to come together as one and to better understand the reality of the problems at hand. Lucky for us, Sevenly has made it its mission to show as many faces and spread as many messages as possible. All we have to do is listen.