When you hear the word philanthropy, what comes to mind? Is it Bill and Melinda Gates? MacKenzie Scott (Jeff Bezos’s former spouse)? Those captains of iniquitous industry, the Koch Brothers? Perhaps your mind thinks of religious values and tenets like Zakat or Sadaqa in Islam, Tzedakah in Judaism, or Charity in Christianity, among others. Whether by legal, moral, or spiritual obligation, strategic self-interest, or heartfelt generosity, philanthropy is often a transfer of wealth from those who have it to those who need it.
The Purpose of Philanthropy
The purpose of this post is not to engage in a philosophical argument about the legitimacy of one approach or another. The purpose is to explain our approach. We chose to become a 1% for the Planet member–this means we’re committed to donating one percent of our annual sales to non-profits working on behalf of the environment. We did this because we recognize there are environmental and social costs to doing business, like causing greenhouse gas pollution that we are either directly responsible for or share some responsibility for causing. Those costs are what economists call negative externalities, meaning the production or consumption of a product or service produces a harmful effect on a third party, whether that’s an individual, social group, the environment, or a combination. Due to the prevailing model of capitalism, driven in large part by neoliberal economic theory, such harms do not inherently get accounted for–included in the price–in the status quo of business operations. Instead, nature and certain segments of society are forced to pick up the tab, and those costs are steepest for those who are already marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, or wealth and income bracket. If a respect for the real value of a healthy environment and the wellbeing of all people had been foundational to neoliberal economics, we’d be in a very different place today. Of course, there is more complexity to this story, but we wish to acknowledge that we are participating in a system that is not yet serving the best interests of society, and we believe it’s our responsibility to pay for the damages we may cause from club operations.
Investing in Long-term Success
We believe philanthropy is practical, and forward-looking, like an insurance policy. Having a healthy environment and society is good for our business, so we aim to reflect that common sense in how we run our business. COVID19 has been a devastating example of the negative effects environmental challenges can have on businesses and people around the world. It is also another example of environmental injustice.
The effects of climate change are charting a similar course, resulting in harmful impacts on businesses and our economy. These impacts will only get worse unless we decarbonize our economy rapidly. We recognize it will be exceedingly difficult to run a successful soccer club in the decades ahead due to climate change. Events like Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont made that shockingly clear. And Vermont certainly isn’t alone. An eerily reminiscent story unfolded in Germany when once-in-a-millennium floods ravaged the country in July 2021. These extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, severe, and pose significant threats to the stability of communities and the economy.
Becoming a 1% for the Planet member also gives us a platform to connect with a large network of amazing organizations working towards similar goals and societal outcomes. This opens the door for collaboration, learning, and strategic partnerships that advance not only our impact strategy, but our competitive strategy. Collaboration and building relationships with other organizations lead to new possibilities, accelerating progress on our mission and financial sustainability.
Putting Your Money to Work
We are working towards a business and operational model that more truly reflects the gratitude we feel for the free life-support services nature provides us with (think clean air, clean water, a livable climate, etc.) and our desire to support the conditions that allow all people to enjoy good health, dignity, and a supportive community. As a supporter of the Club, your financial support, whether that’s buying a ticket to a game or purchasing some of our sustainably-sourced merchandise, will help us continue our work building that model and support a broader network of mission-aligned organizations in the 1% for the Planet community. Together, we can strengthen our ability to be a business that is truly a force for good.
As always, we appreciate you. GO GREEN!