Innovation

Every year Americans spend $130 trillion dollars buying everyday items. DoneGood believes that the money spent every year on those items can be the world's most powerful force for change.

"Our mission really is to make it easy and more affordable for people to discover and to buy ethical and sustainable products. We do that through our Chrome plug in and through our shop site where you can search for what kind of products you are looking for. You can filter by values and find good alternatives to products you were already going to buy." said Scott Jacobsen, DoneGood Co-Founder.

Although the Chrome extension is the main driver of sales, DoneGood also has a mobile app and a newsletter. "We try to build the relationship through our emails," said Scott. DoneGood's newsletters include articles and recommendations for products. The company aims to introduce consumers to socially and environmentally responsible brands and to tell their stories and help boost their sales.

"We were having a problem" said Scott,"Why is it do damn hard to find companies where you know your money isn’t going to a bunch of jerks?" Co-Founders Scott Jacobsen and Cullen Schwarz decided to use technology to "do this thing" and help solve the problem of where consumers could find better companies to shop from.

Inspiration

"I was working in DC and was going to a sandwich shop and everything was put into plastic whether you were staying or not and there was no recycling. So I talked to the owner and I tried to get him to add a recycling bin. He never did it. Eventually I stopped going there." Scott said of the beginnings of his idea for DoneGood.

"Me and my co-founder were having a hard time finding products that we feel really good about." said Scott. Scott and his co-founder, Cullen Schwarz, knew that there were better products out there. They knew that there were companies that cared about recycling, about the environment, about helping people. But where do you find those companies? DoneGood links consumers with companies doing good by providing recommendations through their Chrome Extension as well as providing direct links to companies through their website, mobile app, and email newsletters.

"We always wanted to change the world. " said Scott.

Overall impact

"We get to work every day on a job that has meaning and purpose. We get “love letters” from members of our community all the time saying 'I’ve been looking for something like this'. That has a good impact on your heart and spirit. " said Scott of the impact of what he is doing with DoneGood.

The impact of DoneGood is endless. The people that work for DoneGood are passionate and the DoneGood customers are appreciative of the opportunity to discover new brands.

Then there is the impact on the companies that DoneGood is promoting. "The brands love us. If we are selling stuff then we are making an impact on people’s lives." said Scott.

DoneGood conducts a fairly rigorous process to determine companies that they are going to promote on their site. They look at designations and certifications. They look at the objective of the company and if that includes people and the planet. The company has to be going above and beyond. In addition, "It's gotta be cool. User friendly. Cool product. A product that is good." said Scott. In the beginning they sought out companies, but now companies are coming to DoneGood looking to be featured brands.

Business benefit

DoneGood is a for-profit business. They are a certified B-Corp and became a Public Benefit Corporation in 2016. DoneGood earns a commission on the sales (generated because of DoneGood) of the brands they feature. This model ensures that DoneGood only makes money if they actually help the companies they are supporting.

"There was a moment when we thought about being a non-profit. It was a very short lived moment. We both came to the same conclusion that if our business failed then what we are working towards - we didn’t do it right. We believe that a business can be good. And can do the right thing." said Scott.

Scott and Cullen knew that if the point of their company was to help social impact companies and prove that business can be successful and be a force for good in the world, that they needed to do the same thing too. As a public benefit corporation they are legally obligated to fulfill the mission of not just maximizing profits but also taking care of people and the planet. DoneGood's mission is to move dollars away from big corporations with labor and environmental issues and towards companies that do good. They only make money if they help make that happen.

"We believe in this enough to put our money where our mouth is," said Scott.

Social and environmental benefit

The social and environmental impact of DoneGood comes from the companies that they are featuring. Consumers can use DoneGood to find brands that support refugees, fight poverty, provide meals, help women escape dire situations, give jobs, remove plastic from oceans and landfills, fight climate change, and use responsible materials.

For example:

Prosperity Candle - Makes candles and hires women refugees resettling in the US. The workers are earning a living wage and are building a better future. The company is also a certified B corp.

Krochet Kids – Non-profit empowering people making clothes in high-risk areas of Uganda and Peru. This organization fights poverty by employing local workers and giving them 10 times the average wage in their region.

CAUSEGEAR- Founded to create dignified jobs for men and women in India escaping forced labor, poverty, and sex trafficking. Each product is the equivalent of 4 hours of freedom. The employees earn 10 times the average wage in their region.

"This is the opportunity in front of us. When we buy these kinds of products the impact has the potential to have a greater impact than anything coming out of politics. We vote with our wallets." said Scott.

Interview

Scott Jacobsen, Co-Founder