FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When introducing the Cause Shoppe there are questions that seem to be on everyone’s mind. In no particular order, here they are along with some very informative and insightful answers!
Q: What’s the mission of the Cause Shoppe?
A: The Cause Shoppe is a socially-conscious online shop that helps everyday consumers become philanthropists. We connect people with products and services that inspire awareness while supporting our local and global communities.
Q: What are PhilGoods™?
A: PhilGood™ is a double play on the words: Philanthropic Goods that also make you feel good. We quickly found that within cause-related marketing, there is no single term that refers to a product “manufactured or sold for the purpose of raising funds and/or awareness of an important cause.” PhilGoods™ will become that general word! Give us a year (or five) and what “Kleenex” is to facial tissue or “Coke” is to soda, so PhilGoods™ will be to cause-related products. Eventually, companies will be able to launch a new PhilGood with the full understanding that their market will immediately recognize it is a philanthropic good they’ll feel good buying!
Q: How are products chosen for the site?
A: While any product could technically be created and deemed a PhilGood™, not just any product is included on the site. Every product and vendor is fully vetted ensuring everything from the quality of the product to the purchasing process meets the Cause Shoppe standard. We have done the dirty work and sifted through thousands of products that range from tacky to mediocre to bring you, our valuable client, the best PhilGoods™ today’s retailers are offering. (You’re welcome!)
To review: PhilGoods™ must give back; they must create a conversation; and they can’t offend our shopping sensibilities or any realm of good taste. The site the product is sold on is also taken into consideration. Even a beautiful PhilGood sold from a convoluted, untrustworthy-looking site won’t be accepted. The Cause Shoppe is committed to ensuring our shoppers have a positive experience from start to finish.
The Cause Shoppe may choose to decline a product because there are similar products already online or other logistical reasons. In the end, the Cause Shoppe reserves the right to refuse any product for any reason without cause or explanation. The Cause Shoppe also reserves the right to reverse a decision to accept or feature a PhilGood without cause or explanation; in this instance, applicable advertising fees may be refunded.
Q: This is such a fabulous idea, are you a nonprofit organization?
A: We look and smell like a nonprofit, but we are not. Give Twice, LLC which is doing business as the Cause Shoppe is a for-profit entity.
Q: Really? It seems like it would be a nonprofit.
A: While it’s typically an unspoken rule that companies who are doing good must be nonprofit, we are challenging that philosophy. We are excited to have created a product (CauseShoppe.com) by which we can help retailers and merchants market their PhilGoods, raise funds and awareness of really amazing charities and causes, and if done the right way, make some money off the site as well. We understand that many get suspicious at the notion of profiting off of charitable products, but that is only because there is an assumption that for us to profit it comes at the expense of the charity. Because of our business model, that won’t happen.
There are a number of ways we project to bring in revenue, but all of these ideas are contingent upon us first driving a lot of traffic to the site and then to the individual products. Companies and merchants will only advertise with us, or feature their products, if we are able to deliver on our promise to attract customers seeking the chic, interesting PhilGoods™to the market. If we are successful in creating a premiere site for companies to display and market their PhilGoods, then we will make money and we can invest that into improving the size, functionality and performance of the Cause Shoppe. We only succeed if we are connecting people with great PhilGoods™that are benefitting charities.
Let’s explore a worst-case scenario and suggest the founders of the Cause Shoppe abandoned their altruistic roots and pursued improvement of the Cause Shoppe for purely profitable means. In order to keep advertisers and retailers happy, the most profitable thing to do would be to continue improving the site and finding ways to increase traffic. Right? It’s simply terrible, we know. The reality is, is that too much trust is placed in the nonprofit title. Conflicts of interest happen all the time in nonprofits or organizations do poor jobs and waste money on bureaucracy and fundraising. (Although, thankfully, this is the exception rather than the rule!) At the end of the day, we chose to be a for-profit realizing that it wouldn’t change our philosophies and ethics and because we knew it would help us bring talented people around the table and grow faster.
Q: Why don’t you make and sell our own PhilGoods?
A: We’re smart enough to recognize that we all have our unique skill sets. Although we can both make a mean crème brulee, any attempt to string bracelets or crochet sweaters would surely be disastrous! Who knows what the future holds? Perhaps we’ll too eventually launch our own line of PhilGoods, giving back to those charities we love most. But for the time-being we’re going to stick with getting the Cause Shoppe up and running.
Now, if you have a very cool, very chic line of PhilGoods™ you would like to launch on CauseShoppe.com and market exclusively through us, then you should have your people call our people, skip the lunch, send a proposal and share your thoughts!
Q: So if you’re not a nonprofit, and you don’t sell your own PhilGoods™, how is the Cause Shoppe giving back?
A: It’s like a two-fer of the very best kind! Not only does every purchase give back, but the Cause Shoppe will be donating 5% of its proceeds to our favorite causes which range from animals to literacy to veterans and so much in between. We are so excited to succeed and begin making a real difference to the charities whose good works fuel our passion.
Q: How do I buy products on the Cause Shoppe?
A: Very simple: you don’t! Think of the Cause Shoppe as a match-maker, we’re simply introducing you to retailers offering great PhilGoods™. Once the introduction has been made we get out of the way, sending you off to one of our network sites to finalize your purchase. We work to ensure the sites we send you to are quality online retailers that will offer the same positive shopping experience you expect from Cause Shoppe.
Q: Do I get a tax deduction for buying PhilGoods™?
A. While we do all love our tax deductions, purchasing PhilGoods™ is not tax deductible; this is because you are receiving a good or service for the purchase price. The donation is not actually being made by you, but by the company. But you can feel good because your participation makes this possible!
Q: How can I submit my product or line of products to the site?
A: We knew you’d love us! And we’re pretty sure we’re going to love you too! Products may be submitted via our Contact page; please make sure to include the pertinent information and a link to the product online. We currently have thousands (yes, THOUSANDS) of products in the queue. To learn more about submitting your PhilGood(s)™ for consideration, please visit our merchants page.
Q: How does the Cause Shoppe make money?
A: Easy answer: we don’t! Well, not yet at least but it’s certainly the goal. The Cause Shoppe has a number of different opportunities for companies including but of course not limited to advertising, featured products and more. We welcome discussions for unique, creative and strategic alliances.
Q: Do you track product sales and ensure the charities receive the promised donations?
A: We were going to have our compliance team of 40 dedicate the first half of every day to this, but then remembered we don’t have a compliance team at all. While we’ve done our best to vet out the sketchy companies and sites, this is very much a “good faith” and “on your honor” system. It would be impossible for us to conduct this type of tracking and reporting.
We remind you that these are not companies promising a new charitable program because we offered to market their product; we’re simply introducing you to companies and products that are doing good work. At the same time, we’re just sensible enough to believe that the more we bring positive attention to companies making a difference, new companies might just come along with brand new PhilGoods! Regardless, we always encourage you to do your due diligence and research companies and their giving practices, this is generally all publicly available information.
Q: How do I handle returns, questions or concerns regarding a purchase made through the Cause Shoppe?
A: Because purchases are not made through the Cause Shoppe, we are not liable or responsible for any problems, questions, concerns or returns you might have. All such issues should be taken up with the company you purchased the product from. However, if you ever have a negative experience with one of our partner or affiliate sites linked to from the Cause Shoppe, please let us know!
Q: Can I donate directly to the causes you’ve listed?
A: That would be very generous of you! The Cause Shoppe does not directly solicit or facilitate donations to the charities listed on our site. However, nearly every charity maintains a website by which they accept online donations or provide other means of donating.