Consumer Power Initiative First Newsletter

The Consumer Power Initiative is an organization with a mission of promoting companies that work for charities instead of normal stakeholders and shareholders. Among the kinds of charities that it seeks to support are those that work to end factory farming, through methods like legal efforts, media campaigns, and/or collaboration with key actors. To learn more about the projects of the Consumer Power initiative, see the below newsletter.

Welcome to the first newsletter of the Consumer Power Initiative,the organization that, with your help, is working to make a world in which consumers can support impactful charities through their everyday purchases of goods and services.

Our Mission: Empower people of the world to direct the profit from their purchases toward charities that further justice and well-being. Through this, we can achieve important projects like eliminating global poverty and ending factory farming (among other problems). We will do this through what CPI calls Guided Consumption.

To learn about Guided Consumption, a process where charities occupy the equity position, use this to make money for charities, see the linked paper and/or interview:

11 Page Introduction                                           Interview with Alexis Smith

Functions of the Consumer Power Initiative

Build a Movement/Make the Public Aware- Make people question the wealthy should benefit from purchases, rather than charities. Consumers and others want to do good, and if they know they can help effective charities through normal economic activity, they will.

Support/Recruit/Network with Guiding Producers/Companies- Public awareness will not go far unless there are businesses working for charities This is why we network with existing Guiding Producers to collaborate on expanding Guided Consumption globally, recruit and support new Guiding Producers, such as by connecting them with funding sources.

Research Questions Critical to Guided Consumption-We are looking to research to determine key questions to Guided Consumption: what is the evidence suggesting consumers and other actors will support Guiding Producers over normal companies? What contexts will Guiding Producers have the greatest advantages? What legal forms and locations might offer Guiding Producers the greatest tax or other legal advantages? Etc.

Our Team

Brad West- Founder, CEO of CPI 

Kagen Aurencz Zethmayr- Operations, Project Lead

Stephanie Diaz- Social Media                                                                       

David Prim- Creative Assets, Outreach

Ari Dulchinos- Website Design                       

Billy Perkins- Website Developer

Our Featured Guiding Producers

BOAS- EU-based webstore with sustainable baby/kid products. 100% of profits to charities in your choice of cause area: Climate, Children, Animal Rights, Poverty.
MISERCORDIA- Webstore made by 9th grader selling branded clothes and other goods: 100% of profit to the Against Malaria Foundation and Clean Air Task Force.

Current Projects

 

Giving Store- CPI partner donating 100% of net profits to GiveDirectly, which directs cash to world's poorest households, enabling communities to rise out of poverty. Purchase fun and useful products: Housewares, Baby and Kid, Pet Supplies, and Outdoors and Play. Share your love with the families that need it most

CPI website- Hub to learn about Guided Consumption. Links to CPl's Guiding Producer partners, links to the current literature on Guided Consumption, a form to join the CPI newsletter, and the ability to donate online.

Social Media- The CPI team producing Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram, and others.

Special Thanks- Vincent van der Holt- BOAS Founder, Key Strategic Partner George Safford- SCORE mentor
Bide Akande- Donated $1,000 to CPI Madhav Malhotra- volunteering to program The Giving Store

JointheMissionemailbrad@consumerpowerinitiativeformoreinformation

Be an Ambassador- Spread the word about the project, like/share on social media Tell friends and family. Someone you know or someone they know may be critical to the project.

Join the Discussion- Join the Consumer Power Initiative Idea Community to discuss opportunities, challenges, solutions, and implications of Guided Consumption.

Volunteer for CPI- Bring your skills to the project. CPI is currently looking for assistance fundraising, creative communications/social media, website development, research, and many other areas. Reach out with any ideas regarding how you might be able to help the team.

Donate to CPI- Invest in the world you want to see. Today, at the earliest stages of CPI, is where your contribution can have the greatest impact. CPI is 501{c){3) organizations, and any donations are tax-deductible

Thank you for your interest! We look forward to updating you in two weeks. Brad West,
Founder and CEO of The Consumer Power Initiative

CPl's Board of Directors

Lakeshia Wright, President                  Jeffrey Reasor, Treasurer                   Brad West, Secretary