Trying to do some good, charitable business

[MargoSilch]

Hello,
I have decided that in 2021 I want to begin a business with charitable leanings & goals that can hopefully make a difference to the environment. Now I am completely open to ideas and pointers but would like a little brainstorm of what I can do and how best to use the money I have set aside for this. I am giving very little detail on purpose as I want to hear all of your ideas and do not want to constrain them or limit them with my own B.S.

What do you guys think would be the most useful use of my time and money?
Thanks everybody!

[C350Akra]

I am somewhat confused. You mention business but then charitable leanings. Either it is a business for profit or a charity? Any business can donate to any charity. If you want it to be a business doing charitable work how is it going to be funded?

[PugwasHDJ80]

Can't help with ideas, but we're a B-Corporation

A business that is not only for profit, but also aims to deliver positive societal impact

[StevieBee]

MargoSilch said:

Hello,
I have decided that in 2021 I want to begin a business with charitable leanings & goals that can hopefully make a difference to the environment. Now I am completely open to ideas and pointers but would like a little brainstorm of what I can do and how best to use the money I have set aside for this. I am giving very little detail on purpose as I want to hear all of your ideas and do not want to constrain them or limit them with my own B.S.

What do you guys think would be the most useful use of my time and money?
Thanks everybody!

Firstly and most importantly you need to decide from the off whether your endeavour will be a funder or implementer. By this I mean whether it will simply raise money that it passes onto charitable organisations or if you intend to deliver charitable projects yourself from the money you make.

I've helped a chap with a start up who's doing something very similar. His initial pitch was to develop and sell a range of products and spend 50% of the profits on measures to help third world countries tackle plastic marine litter (a world in which I mainly operate, hence me helping him). amongst his ideas was to provide training centres and boats and equipment. I pointed out the boats would get stripped and sold, the training centre would be used to house animals and the equipment would never be used. So we've aligned him with a charity that works in these communities. This charity works on matched development funding so DFIiD will say you can have £100k to develop a project but you have to raise £100k yourself. They know how to properly spend the money.

So his business will make and sell the products that will raise the money that will be spent by his partner charity who in turn will also help him to market his products.

I would recommend this approach - initially at least.

Whilst you can set up a normal Ltd company to do this, establishing something like a Social Enterprise Company or similar opens doors to funding pots not available to fully commercial entities. There's no need to set up a charity which comes with a host of administrative obligations.

You say that you want to make a difference to the environment - I assume you mean in the specific sense. That being the case then plastic littler/waste should be a primary focus. Huge amounts of focus, energy and money being directed to this particular issue. Key areas around the world are prevention (reducing plastic waste) and recovery (removing it from the environment). It can be a highly valuable commodity in some poorer parts of the world so enabling realisation of this helps to bolster economies and the well-being of these communities.

Commercially, you cannot rely on the charitable cause alone to generate the income that would make a difference. The chap I'm working with will be making stuff (sort of linked to fashion) that will - our should - sell on its own merits.

Another idea....

Back in the 90s I worked as Marketing Manager at Barnardo's. They had two restaurants - one in Leeds and the other in Belfast called Dr B's Kitchens. They were essentially training academies for kids that had not had the best of starts to life and / or were excluded from mainstream opportunities. They'd learn a skill whilst selling what they cooked and what they cooked was really, really good. I have no idea if they are still going but I thought this was a really good idea and surprised that it's not something you see more of.

PM me if you need a bit more insight on the waste / plastic thing but hopefully that's some food for thought.

[MargoSilch]

This is a terrific answer and I thank you. I will be sending you a private message if you do not mind plastics are exactly what I was thinking of. I shall message you shortly. Thank you

[StevieBee]

MargoSilch said:

This is a terrific answer and I thank you. I will be sending you a private message if you do not mind plastics are exactly what I was thinking of. I shall message you shortly. Thank you

No worries. Ready whenever!