1% for the Planet
Giving 1% of Our Sales
As a member of 1% for the Planet, nicao donates at least 1% of its annual sales.
We first heard about the initiative a few years after starting nicao. Rather than waiting until we were a little bigger, we decided to do what we could at the time.
Starting Small
When we first began donating, nicao was a small family business. It still is.
Even so, we didn't want to think of giving as something we'd do only when we had money to spare.
We decided that if we were making sales, we should set aside a portion for donations from the outset. We've continued to give 1% ever since.
How the 1% Works
1% for the Planet is based on donating 1% of sales rather than profits.
We found this approach easy to understand. Profits can vary from year to year depending on expenses and investment. With 1% of sales, however, the calculation is straightforward.
Rather than asking ourselves each year, “How much should we donate?”, we can build giving into the way we run our business from the outset.
Choosing Where to Give
Until now, we've continued to make donations through 1% for the Planet.
The programme also allows members to choose from approved organisations and make donations directly.
Going forward, we're thinking about supporting organisations whose work we've come to understand and would like to support over the long term.
One organisation we're considering is Musubie, a certified Japanese NPO that supports children's community kitchens (kodomo shokudo) across Japan.
Musubie supports these kitchens and the local networks around them. They do more than provide meals. They also offer places where people of all ages can feel welcome, spend time together and connect with others in their community.
Food, human connections, and having somewhere to belong. Learning about this work has made us think more about how we might support it.
One per cent may seem small, but committing to it year after year makes it part of how a business operates.
For nicao, 1% for the Planet isn't a separate initiative. It's something we intend to keep doing as part of running our business.
