Think global, act local! is a slogan that reminds us all that our actions usually effect only local conditions unless we happen to be a governor, president or some such high mucky muck (that really is a valid phrase). But acting local has just become easier with a new mobile phone company -- Credo. Actually Credo is just a division of a company called Working Assets which has been providing phone service and credit card services since 1985. their particular "thing" which distinguishes them from other phone/credit card companies is that they pledge a certain portion of their profits to causes that aim to protect our environment,
They also use their monthly bill to offer information about cases they're supporting at the time. Quotes from various political magazines, politicians, and bloggers give you a sense of where the money goes.
I'm torn between going for the commitment to good causes and getting a good deal. On the surface it sounds good but does the middleman take part of the donation or just facilitate the transfer of funds. Anyone have an opinion?
I don't know if Credo takes out a middleman's slice from their "good causes" or not. I found that this was a common practice when I was working with the Bay County (Florida)Diabetes Assoc. group looking for fund raising. We had a musical theater that had numerous fund raisers, but they got 20% of the take or a certain pay out if the 20% would not be enough. Not much actually got to the group.
ReplyDeleteI've been a CREDO customer for 8 or 9 years now and really love 'em -- especially the customer service.
ReplyDeleteThe way I understand it is that the donations pool is one percent of my (and everyone else's) bill, plus whatever I decide to "round up" when I pay my bill every month. That's then divvied up among 50 groups each year, and as a member I get to vote on how the money is allocated.
I have talked to someone who's been on the recipient end of one of these grants (at the Ploughshares Fund) -- it was substantial (around $50K if I recall correctly) and was totally unrestricted (i.e. general support) -- which is the best kind of grant for any nonprofit as its the most flexible.