Innovation

Corporate philanthropy is far from a novel concept and often lacks significance to warrant celebration. With companies experiencing increasingly substantial profit margins, the act of indiscriminately donating funds can appear detached and devoid of systematic impact. However, at MiiR, philanthropy, or as they prefer to call it, "generosity," is an integral part of their business model.

Since their inception, MiiR has consistently earmarked on average 3% of their top-line revenue for grant programs. In the realm of corporate giving, this commitment is unparalleled. While many companies boast about donating "10% of profits," such assertions can be deceptive as they are contingent upon the actual profitability of the enterprise. In contrast, MiiR has made an unwavering pledge to contribute a percentage of their revenue even during periods of non-profitability.

Every month MiiR's controller deducts a percentage of that month's revenues and channels it into a designated giving account. These funds accumulate over time and are strategically disbursed annually through MiiR's diverse grant programs. MiiR's mission is to revolutionize the landscape of corporate philanthropy by committing the majority of their funds to unrestricted, multi-year grants. Giving unrestricted, multi-year grants not only empowers organizations to achieve significant advancements in their work, but it allows them to focus more on their programming strengths rather than expending precious resources and time on fundraising and fiscal uncertainties.

When MiiR issues grants, they seek to reduce friction and address the inherent power dynamic between funder and grantee. As MiiR's SVP of Impact & People Tiffany Ong says from her personal experience, “Working at a nonprofit can often evoke a sense of powerlessness, given the reliance on external funding for sustainability.” Acknowledging this, she helped institute the following principles in MiiR’s approach to grantmaking:

• Avoiding project-based funding and issuing unrestricted grants whenever possible.
• Making the application processes flexible, accessible, and transferable.
• Establishing long-lasting relationships and issuing multi-year funding grants.

Alongside their grant issuance approach, MiiR has enhanced transparency in grantmaking endeavors. Each MiiR product is equipped with a transparency tool called a Give Code™, a resource that, upon registering, links customers to one or more of their grantees. The Give Code™ provides customers with insight into the operations of established non-profit collaborators and the contributions made possible through grant funds.

MiiR Co-Founders Bryan & Rebecca Papé

Inspiration

MiiR began when co-founder, Bryan Papé, had a near-fatal femur break while skiing. He thought, “If I were to die now, what would I leave behind? I need to do more with my life. I need to do something impactful that will make a difference in the world. I want to leave a legacy for the next generation.” To prove that organizations can be both profitable and generous, Bryan and his wife Rebecca started MiiR.

Fueled by the wave of purpose-driven enterprises prevalent at the time yet harboring reservations about their tangible impact, the Papés resolved to redefine the landscape of corporate philanthropy. Bryan Papé details the inspiration for the generosity component of MiiR: “Through my recuperation, I thought of my late grandfather who had been a successful entrepreneur but was best known for his generous spirit. I knew then, that combining business and philanthropy would be the foundation for my future endeavors.” Rather than being voluntary and additional to business activities, giving was built into MiiR's P&L from day one. Since then, they have been issuing transformative grants and continue to be a leader in the grantmaking space.

With a mission “to empower people for a better future” and a vision “to create more beauty and generosity in the world,” Tiffany Ong hopes that “all employees have a shared sense of purpose and get the opportunity to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.” For Ong, working as the SVP of Impact & People at MiiR allowed her to combine her career in non-profits with her experience working in the corporate sector. She loves her work and feels like it is in service of her personal mission to never have to sacrifice what she enjoys.

Overall impact

MiiR's grant programs have taken many shapes over the years. First committed to funding water, sanitation, and hygiene (W.A.S.H.) projects, they now support a diverse portfolio of community-centered organizations working across four continents. The impacts are widespread and reported to the company via the organizations MiiR supports. The outcomes of said support include increased community well-being, increased family income, increased access to clean water, increased profits to small-holder coffee farmers, and more land protected and conserved.

Because MiiR’s commitment to go above and beyond traditional philanthropy has been at the center of their business since inception, MiiR has garnered a favorable reputation within the drinkware and outdoor industry. This commitment to generosity “likely provided MiiR a competitive advantage when 2020 ushered in a new wave of virtue signaling”, says Ong. Many companies of similar ilk have been inspired to follow in MiiR's footsteps. MiiR's co-founder even mentors a handful of social entrepreneurs hoping to do good with their small businesses.

Business benefit

Positive Press: MiiR's giving strategy helped them build a strong brand identity and increase consumer trust and loyalty. In addition, the relationships built with non-profit grant recipients have helped MiiR break into more segments and have gotten them quite a bit of press over the years. This includes press for their Black Friday campaign, which is in addition to their % of revenue normally donated.

Customer Retention / Engagement: The Give Code™ has played a pivotal role in the business' success, assuming various forms throughout its evolution. Throughout MiiR's history, this tool has been harnessed to spotlight non-profits associated with collaborations or co-grants. This fosters a deeper sense of connection between consumers and MiiR's overarching mission.

Human Resources: MiiR’s innovation has had some tangible benefits for their human resources team as well. Firstly, their partnership with the nonprofit sector and commitment to giving has had an incredible impact on recruitment. MiiR’s reputation draws in aligned talent looking for a purpose-driven workplace. Additionally, robust employee grant programs and engagement with the grantmaking process have increased sense of purpose amongst MiiR employees, leading to high retention rates and employee motivation. Finally, according to Ong, “the people-first approach to grantmaking has trickled down into all aspects of the business. Traditionally, we’ve prioritized grants to organizations that are community-led, and center those at the heart of the issue. This consideration of people and community inspired us to develop some of our own internal people practices.”

Social and environmental benefit

Because MiiR’s grants are substantial and unrestricted, community-centered non-profit organizations are able to make incredible strides in their efforts to bolster community and steward the environment. MiiR collects annual reports from all of the organizations they support. “While some non-profits report back to us with quantitative metrics of success, others report more holistic benefits to the community as a result of our funding,” says Ong. Part of granting unrestricted funds is acknowledging that nonprofits need all the same boring stuff that for-profits need to succeed: equipment, operating systems, money for payroll, etc. As a result, unrestricted funding success can be measured in the form of quantitative impact reports, overall organization health, and/or holistic, community-determined metrics for success.

Because MiiR’s giving is oriented towards organizations that uplift both people and the planet, their portfolio of grants to environmental organizations is expansive. MiiR supports organizations like The Trust for Public Land, Conservation Lands Foundation, Oregon Natural Desert Association, Washington Wild, and WA Farmland Trust. The support contributes to safeguarding and conserving vast expanses of public, recreational, conservation, and agricultural lands, encompassing thousands of acres.

Furthermore, MiiR has ventured into a novel funding avenue termed Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture. Through this initiative, the company channels resources into organizations dedicated to regeneration and catalyzing systemic change. MiiR recognizes the flaws in the current food system and emphasizes that the burden of environmental and community protection shouldn't rest solely on nonprofits. While acknowledging this inherent flaw, MiiR remains steadfast in their belief in the significance of these organizations and endeavors to empower those tirelessly working to safeguard our invaluable natural spaces daily.

MiiR’s commitment to giving is only one part of their overall approach to impact. MiiR is committed to re-framing how we talk about corporate sustainability. Acknowledging that they are a consumer product goods company that extracts minerals from the earth, MiiR is a long way from being truly sustainable. Instead, the company takes “responsibility” for their products and processes by creating simple and durable designs with parts that are easily replaceable. MiiR is also doubling down on their products’ end of life as seen via their Re:Claimed program.

Interview

Tiffany Ong, SVP of Impact & People