Winter 2016
Products with Purpose By Julie McCallum

Companies that give back affect more than just sales with a mission to serve others.

Chavez for Charity Julie Chavez and Joe Cerbo, owner/CEO/director

The clear, cream and white bracelets represent the 11th Project.

Mission: “To support today’s most important and necessary charitable initiatives.”

How do the products serve the mission? Chavez for Charity’s fashion accessories — bracelets, necklaces and earrings — each a different charity, which is determined by the color of the product. The company donates 25 percent of its gross profit to each charity based on the color product that is sold.

Plans for the future: “We plan to continue creating new collections and initiatives to support our current partner charities,” Cerbo said. “We also look forward to partnering with new organizations and developing new initiatives to further support our mission.”

How Can Retailers Get More Involved? Early on the company received many requests from retailers asking if they could create bracelets for a charity they supported. Unfortunately, Cerbo said, their business model didn’t allow them to do that, so the organization created an initiative called the 11^th Project. The 11^th Project gives individual retailers the opportunity to support an organization that is close to their hearts through the sale of the clear, cream and white bracelets. Chavez for Charity will donate 25 percent of its gross profit to the retailer’s charity and, in most cases, the retailer donates a percentage from their in-store sales as well. The initiative has been very successful. Through it, the company has been able to contribute over $20,000 to their retailers’ charities.

For more information, visit www.chavezforcharity.com

Julie McCallum

Julie McCallum is publisher of Gift Shop Magazine. She is formerly the editor-in-chief of the publication, as well as editor of Museums & More, and she has more than 25 years experience in publishing.