We Support Giving Back to Our Community
It always feels good giving back to your community whether through direct donations or through companies, brands, or products that support giving back as well. Blue Sky Marketing is committed to supporting brands and companies that support charities, sustainability, social justice, and, of course, our military.
Just this month, Blue Sky launched it’s own give back program. With the support of Blue Sky, each employee was given the opportunity to donate to a charity of their choosing. Charities and organizations that were supported ranged from pets to Vets and everything in between. We were encouraged to share who we donated to and in turn learned so much about our teammates. Particularly in times like this where we are mostly working from home and missing that camaraderie, it was so nice getting to know more about one another and what we are passionate about.
We are proud to offer so many products that give back, a few of which we’ve featured below…
MPOWERD
With over 3 billion people living without access to clean, reliable, or affordable energy, everyday tasks are made more difficult (and dangerous) than they should be. Access to clean energy can improve health, create education equality, economic empowerment, all the while combating climate change.
Working with over 700 NGOs and non-profits, MPOWERD provides clean energy to those who need it most. Through their partners they distribute clean energy options that provide a more economical and environmentally friendly approach to everyday tasks.
Each product sold helps provide clean energy to people around the world who need it most. Through your participation, we are all able to create positive social and environmental impact.
SoapBox
Giving back should be easy. That’s why an everyday purchase with Soapbox is a soap bar donation that keeps someone in need a little safer. Here’s how it works: You purchase a Soapbox product, Soapmakers make new or recycled soap bars, SoapBox partners distribute the soap, and someone in need is a little safer.
Each Soapbox product has a unique Hope Code. This code can be entered to find out the specific project your purchase benefited. Why? So you can see how your act of giving can contribute to a larger mission and impact. SoapBox works with partners worldwide on 5 different continents.
Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. Their vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history. They provide free programs and services to address the needs of wounded warriors and fill gaps in government care. They serve injured veterans, their families, and caregivers by providing free mental health and wellness, physical health and wellness, career and benefits counseling, and support for the most severely injured.
A portion of proceeds from the sale of every Basecamp item is donated to the nonprofit. On February 1, 2021, Sweda’s CEO, Jim Hagan, and SVP of Sales & Marketing, Kellie Claudio, presented the CEO of WWP, Lt Gen (Ret) Mike Linnington and wounded warrior Dan Nevins a donation of $100,000 to support their mission.
Pollinator Partnership
Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. Pollinator Partnership works to protect the health of managed and native pollinating animals that are vital to wildland and agricultural ecosystems. Their mission of environmental stewardship and pollinator protection is achieved through conservation, policy, education, and research. Signature initiatives include the NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign), National Pollinator Week, and EcoRegional Planting Guides that allow local citizens to plant gardens that provide habitats for important pollinating species.
Modern Sprout is committed to giving back—from donating a percentage of proceeds to American Forests and the Pollinator Partnership for reforestation and ecosystem protection, to partnering with the Heartland Alliance to provide employment for Chicago’s most vulnerable residents.
“As houseplants and gardening enjoy a growth spurt in popularity, we are excited to introduce these style-savvy green products to our customers providing sustainable solutions to the modern challenges of indoor and desktop gardening,” said Jonathan Isaacson, CEO at Gemline. “With their fresh innovative products and commitment to sustainability and giving back, Modern Sprout is the perfect complement to Gemline’s expanding brand portfolio.”
Healthy Harbor
Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative works to restore and protect the Baltimore Harbor. We believe the human affinity for nature, fostered by a direct emotional connection with the marine environment, will restore the balance between our city and our bay. Through the Healthy Harbor projects, programs, and partnerships, we are educating the public about what lives beneath the surface and how we can all fight for the urban ecosystem through actions we take.
Clean water means cleaning and greening neighborhoods, and a healthy harbor equals a healthy city.
Hip has partnered with Healthy Harbor, using new technology to harness the power of water and sunlight to intercept single-use plastics from local waterways. Capturing and removing debris before it flows to the Atlantic Ocean with an innovative water wheel, Hip will fund the removal of hundreds of thousands of pieces of garbage from the Inner Harbor in a single year. For every Hip item sold they’ll remove disposable water bottles, polystyrene coffee cups and plastic grocery bags from the water, all powered by consumers choosing sustainable options.
Homes For Our Troops
Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a publicly funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents out of every dollar spent has gone directly to our program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes where the Veteran chooses to live, and continues its relationship with the Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives.
Since 2004, HFOT has built over 315 specially adapted homes nationwide. Our goal is to build a home for every Veteran who qualifies for one of our specially adapted homes.
A portion of the proceeds from each Patriot Coolers product purchase goes to a charitable organization whose mission includes helping people in their local communities and across the USA. Patriot products are inspired by the American flag with stars and stripes built into the design.
Shelter to Soldier
Shelter to Soldier™ is a CA 501c3 nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries associated with traumatic service experiences. On average, 20 Veterans and 1 Active Duty military personnel commit suicide, every day. They sacrificed everything to protect our freedom. Shelter to Soldier™ rescues dogs that are better suited for a life with a job or may otherwise be overlooked, providing them a future with a purpose and a life that is fulfilled by their bond with a veteran in need.
The Shelter to Soldier™ team’s expertise in training service dogs is unmatched in the field and provides a great platform for them to use these talents to serve military personnel in honor of their service to our country. The sponsored service dog will serve the critical role of psychological support to his/her veteran handler.
A portion of all proceeds from the Perka, Work, and iCOOL collections are donated to Shelter to Soldier™.
1% for the Planet
One Percent for the Planet is an international organization whose members contribute at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes. Their mission is to “build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet. One Percent for the Planet members assist nonprofit organizations that protect land, forests, rivers, oceans and also encourage sustainable methods of energy production.
In 2002, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, created 1% for the Planet and started a global movement. It was founded to prevent greenwashing, certify reputable giving and provide accountability.
The 1% for the Planet certification is given to businesses and individuals that meet their high-bar commitment—donate 1% of annual sales or salary to environmental causes. 1% for the Planet evaluates the “track record, credibility and impact” of the nonprofit organization and also verifies the contributions made by the member companies.
1% of sales from the Earthwise collection, as well as the Denali Jacket, is donated to 1% for the Planet that will benefit their network of nonprofit organizations. You can help make a difference one purchase at a time.
Habitat For Humanity
The mission statement of Habitat for Humanity is “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope” Homes are built using volunteer labor and Habitat makes no profit on the sales In some locations outside the United States, Habitat for Humanity charges interest to protect against inflation. This policy has been in place since 1986.
Habitat has helped more than 29 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since its founding in 1976. As of 2013, Habitat was the largest not-for-profit builder in the world.
Maple Ridge Farms has selected 14 of their most popular products to be included in their give back program. 15% of the profits from orders placed for these gifts by December 31, 2021 will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau.
tentree
Earth-First is their commitment to making choices in a world where the planet and its people come first, always. Every item plants 10 trees. Together, they’ve planted over 50 million trees. That’s huge. Those trees have removed millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, lifted entire communities out of poverty, and reforested over 5,000 hectares of land (that’s equal to 12,000 football fields). They’re on a mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2030, and they can’t do it without you.
charity: water
Since charity: water was founded in 2006, they’ve been chasing one ambitious goal: ending the global water crisis. And while the water crisis is huge, we’re optimistic. They know how to solve the problem, and they make progress everyday thanks to the help of local partners and generous supporters. If we work together, they believe everyone will have access to life’s most basic need within our lifetime. To date 78,350 water projects have been funded in 29 countries and has raised over $370 million dollars. 13,086,400 people will be served. This number represents the total number of people who will gain access to clean water as reported by their implementing partners.
In December 2012, charity: water received a $5 million grant from Google’s Global Impact Awards. The grant was to fund the installation of 4,000 sensors to report on status and working conditions of wells installed in Ethiopia, Nepal, and a few other nations in Africa and Asia.
Every Corkcicle purchased helps bring clean water to people in need.
Elemental Bottle donates proceeds to charity: water every month. In fact, Elemental donates 1% of all orders to charitable organizations.