ThisBarMay2015-1Over the past years, social enterprises have gained increasing popularity. The prospect of being able to make money while making an impact on the world is exciting, and people like us have jumped at the opportunity. But our reasons for entering the world of social enterprise go deeper than just the desire to make a profit— here’s why we chose to operate as a business (instead of as a not-for-profit organization).

01 | CAPITALISM RULES
We’re very much a consumer society, there’s no doubt about it. Your everyday choices affect businesses, from buying coffee from your local shop to choosing a pair of knockoff shoes rather than the real thing (don’t worry, no one can tell). We wanted to add a philanthropic element to peoples’ everyday spending habits, which empowers the consumer to shop consciously. We’re proud to give people the opportunity to make a spending choice that is good for them and the world.

02 | CHARITY BUDGET VS. SPENDING BUDGET
Let’s assume (for simplicity’s sake) that the average person receives $1000 a month. That person divides that money up for bills, rent, and other spending, leaving them to set aside $10 to give to charity. Charities are left to fight to receive those $10 every month, and can’t access the other money the person sets aside, since that money doesn’t fall into their charity budget. A social enterprise, however, isn’t limited to that person’s $10 budget—it has access to the money allotted for his or her regular spending. For This Bar Saves Lives, the increased access to consumers’ money means we are able to make a big impact in the fight against malnutrition. If you need proof, take a look at the counter at the bottom of our website—since June 2013, we’ve sent almost half a million packets of life-saving food to children in need around the world.

03 | WE WANTED TO DOUBLE OUR IMPACT
Our buy one, give one business model allows us to do good in two ways. One of those ways is, of course, by giving life-saving packets of food aid to children in need. The other way is by providing all-natural, non-GMO, healthy snacks to our customers. We get to foster global nutrition on two fronts; by promoting healthy eating for our customers, and helping to alleviate malnutrition for children.

Non-profit organizations are still hugely important in the philanthropic world, and always will be. Well-established and successful organizations (like our partners Action Against Hunger and Timmy Global Health) have been making a difference around the world for many years. Without them, none of our efforts would be possible. But we wanted to get into the business of giving back, so creating a social enterprise was the right decision for us.

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FROM THE EDITOR
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