What is Buy1GIVE1?

Buy1GIVE1™ is an international organisation founded in Australia. Now  the B1G1 Foundation is a not for profit Foundation headquartered in Singapore. This simple phrase is at the core of what we do:  sharing the joy of giving.

Buy1GIVE1 is the home of the most powerful, impactful and change-making giving process. It is now a global ‘movement’ bringing together businesses, charities and consumers in a way that has simply not been done before. Buy1GIVE1 is the central hub of that movement. It’s the source of inspiration, knowledge, systems, processes and insights that together make the biggest sustainable impact ever on the health and wealth of our world.

How does Buy1GIVE1 fund itself?

Buy1GIVE1 helps businesses give much more effectively and 100% of contributions from Buy1GIVE1 Businesses reach their Worthy Cause Partners. So, we frequently get asked the question about funding.

Buy1GIVE1 has business membership programs (SME and corporations) that cover part of the operational cost of Buy1GIVE1. Buy1GIVE1 also offers a range of products and consulting services that create resources for the on-going operation of this unique initiative. Some companies and individuals who resonate with Buy1GIVE1’s purpose and vision also fund Buy1GIVE1. So, in short, Buy1GIVE1 can keep operating and expanding through many people supporting the concept and coming together to make a difference!

What is the vision of Buy1GIVE1?

Buy1GIVE1’s vision is to turn every consumer activity in the world into a giving activity with a simple mechanism of giving. It is just like bumblebees pollinating flowers (automatic giving) while receiving nectar (product or service to nurture our life). And this giving action actually creates many side effects beyond the direct result of the Worthy Cause activity.

Giving is an important part of who we are to stay being happy and inspired in life. The more complex, materialistic and convenient our life becomes, the less giving could occur if we forget to be grateful. By bringing the natural (and automatic) giving back in our everyday life, we automatically create more gratitude and caring in our world.

Is Buy1GIVE1 affiliated with any religious or charitable groups?

No. Buy1GIVE1 is all about connecting the world in a sense of giving and it does not have any specific link with charity or religious groups other than the partnerships that are created in the process of working together to make a difference.

While we also believe that all the religions and charities around the world acknowledge the importance of giving in one way or another, we do not wish to create a particular view about what is right and wrong. We want to work with all organisations who value the importance of helping each other so that more giving happens in the world.

What specific benefits do we receive as B1G1 Business?

These are some of the benefits of becoming part of Buy1GIVE1 as a business:

• Positively impact customer attraction and retention, by engaging customers in a much deeper ‘heart-to-heart’ way
• Significantly enhance your core market position and commitment to give with integrity
• Create clear market differentiation for your products and services
• Influence desired customer behaviours
• Utilise your giving to motivate and inspire employees
• Give more, more consistently, more sustainably with much more impact
• Start your effective giving immediately from any amount
• Have control over setting your own giving cycle
• Add Buy1GIVE1 branding to all your marketing material as a Buy1GIVE1 Business
• Share your message with the public through Buy1GIVE1
• Have the flexibility to contribute to any organisation of your choice at your discretion – choose either from the B1G1 Worthy Cause list or select your own charity partner you are already supporting
• 100% of contribution goes to the cause for the best possible effectiveness
• Take a leadership position in the B1G1 Giving Movement

Can we recommend a Worthy Cause Partner to Buy1GIVE1?

Yes of course. Just send us an email with the details or contact the Worthy Cause and ask them to contact us. Membership for Worthy Causes with Buy1GIVE1 is free.

As a Buy1GIVE1 Business can we work with a Worthy Cause that is not part of Buy1Give1?

Yes you can. You can support any Worthy Cause you like. Some businesses have existing relationships with Worthy Causes and want to continue these. We make this easy for you to do. The details are sorted out after you have applied.

How do we know the Worthy Cause receives the money?

Simple – they can provide you with a receipt.  BuytGIVE1 also issues a monthly report to Worthy Cause partners who receive contributions. The information on the report includes the amount contributed and project(s) supported as well as all the companies that contributed to the cause. You can also send contributions directly to your nominated cause.

Why do we need ‘Buy1Give1′? Couldn’t we just do it ourselves?

Yes, of course you can. It’s not leveraging your giving nor is it tapping into the B1G1 expertise of how to make giving really work so that more giving gets done. But yes, you can match a charity yourself and do transaction-based giving yourself. In fact, many of our Buy1GIVE1 Businesses were already giving before they became a Buy1GIVE1.

Being a part of B1G1 allows them though not just to access all of the B1G1 Intellectual Property, systems process and brand but also it allows them to leverage their giving. By being a part of B1G1, they’re communicating the giving message so much more powerfully – they’re part of something great rather than operating on their own.

By working with other businesses that also value the importance of giving back, those businesses are able to effectively create much more awareness in the public. Their  success and inspiration ignites many other businesses’ giving which eventually creates greater difference than they would have ever been able to create on their own.

Why does being a B1G1 Business Member or Partner help our business?

In a crowded marketplace, unique points of difference can be hard to find. Here’s a major key though: businesses that are directly seen by their customers and prospective customers as ‘giving back’ in a transaction-based B1G1 way get much more resonance with their customers. Customers simply feel more ‘connected’ to those businesses.

But the impact of becoming a B1G1 business is not limited to customers. From experience, we know that being a B1G1 business really does motivate your team as well – it gives them something beyond ‘work’ if you will. Imagine, for example, being served by a waiter wearing a discrete name badge saying, “When I serve you, we’re serving kids too”.

Here’s something people sometimes forget too. Your involvement with Buy1GIVE1 as a B1G1 Business is (unlike a lot of marketing) directly measurable.

Will we be able to receive tax benefits from our contribution?

In order to receive tax benefits for your contributions to your Worthy Cause Partner, normally the Worthy Cause partner needs to be registered in the country where your business files its tax return.

It is best to check with your accountant on this matter if it’s of concern to you.

Do we have to partner all our business sales with a Worthy Cause?

Buy1GIVE1 works with you, connecting each and every business sale for a SPECIFIC product or service you select to match with a Worthy Cause project.

In other words, you can choose which you apply Buy1GIVE1 giving to. You only need to do it on the ones that you choose.

Many businesses start off with a single product or service and then expand as they gain more understanding of how Buy1GIVE1 giving can work for them. Some businesses use Buy1GIVE1 giving for special events that are not always run regularly. Buy1GIVE1 giving is as flexible as you want to make it. Buy1GIVE1 giving can work for any business.

Can we pay our contribution directly to the Worthy Cause?

We make it easy for you to contribute, so we can administer your contributions ensuring 100% of your contributions reaches the cause with reporting.

You can, however, pay your contributions directly to your Worthy Cause Partner if you wish. If your contribution amounts are likely to be substantial, we recommend that you pay the Worthy Cause directly, so that money is not lost in banking fees.

If you pay directly, you just need to report the contributions to Buy1GIVE1 with the receipt from the Worthy Cause so that we can record your contributions and maintain the integrity and transparency of the B1G1 systems.

How much of our contribution is paid to the Worthy Cause?

100% of what you contribute (less any standard bank transfer fees) is paid directly to the Worthy Cause Partner that you select.

Buy1GIVE1, unlike most organisations that raise funds for Worthy Causes, DOES NOT take a percentage of your contributions.

What if we cannot find a suitable project on your list?

If you look through our list and cannot find a suitable project with which to partner, you have three options:

1. Bring your own partner and contribute directly while letting us know when and how much you contribute.
2. Invite a Worthy Cause that you like to join us by introducing them to B1G1.
3. Let us find you a suitable partner for you.

Do we give a certain amount or a set percentage?

Each B1G1 Worthy Cause already has a list of projects that they support. Each project has a US dollar-cost associated with it that ranges from as little as USD 1cent. You pay the cost of the project from each product/service sale.

So for example: If you are a restaurant, you will select a food-related project, and you will find that it costs, say, USD 25c to feed a child a meal. If you select this project, then for every meal you sell you pay USD 25c to that Worthy Cause to feed a child.

If you want to pay more (or less) for each transaction, you can look for a different project. Often the same project is ‘bundled’ in different ways. For example, the same organisation can offer to feed a child a meal, feed a child for a week and feed a child for a month – so look for other options that suit your financial needs.

If you are bringing your own charity partner, B1G1 can work with them to find out suitable giving options for your company.

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