dailyKarma, a mobile app launching soon to spread gratitude throughout the Bay Area, honored 12 local merchants at the first annual Cause Local Effect Awards at the Museum of Craft and Design last week.
Doniece Sondoval, founder of LavaMae, San Francisco's mobile hygiene vehicle for the homeless, received a special achievement award to honor her tremendous give-back initiative in SF.
The 12 merchants honored at the Awards were voted as the best at giving back by 7x7 readers in June:
Amour Vert is working with American Forests to plant 10,000 trees in North America by the end of 2015. For every purchase of an Amour Vert T-shirt, one tree will be planted in North America. Buy a tee, plant a tree.
Cole started their "Coins for the Community" program just two years ago, and has already donated over $30,000 to local charities. Each month they choose a new beneficiary from the hundreds of nonprofit groups in their Community Partners Program.
De’Arti Salon believes in a holistic approach to giving back: focusing on physical as well as emotional needs
Dosa shows its committment to sustainability via various eco-friendly initiatives in its restaurants, including solar-powered water heaters, recycled glass for the bar, Forest Stewardship Council-certified and non-PVC materials, energy-efficient HVAC and kitchen equipment, remote refrigeration, complete window tinting, water-conserving low-flow appliances, and intelligent energy-management hoods.
Green Twig donates to three elementary schools per year based on client suggestions, raises thousands of dollars annually for the Clean Water Fund during Earth Month, and sponsors one new, local band a year offering hairstyles, color, and cosmetic services for photo and video shoots at no charge.
Schools, nonprofits, and other organizations located near the spa and around San Francisco use special gifts donated by the spa to raise money in auctions and other events, leading to a more relaxed, peaceful, and grateful community.
Nopa's owners meet every Friday to strategize upcoming Give Back events for all four restaurants. In recent months, they've worked with Meals on Wheels, Make-a-Wish Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank, and BAWCC to use culinary education and mouthwatering food as a way to provide education and support to the surrounding areas.
They have donated nearly $1 million in cash, gift cards and in-kind donations to more than 200 local schools since 2010. Their mission is a virtuous circle: As the company grows and prospers, so too should the communities that support their stores.
Tacolicious has made public education its priority, investing back into the Bay Area community through the Tacolicious School Project. Through this program, Tacolicious has formed an annual alliance with 45 public schools and is nearing $600,000 in total donations.
When the phrase "the 1 percent" entered our lexicon, Therapy decided to turn the phase into something positive. Every year, 1 percent of the boutiques' annual sales are donated to charities. They donated over $100,000 last year alone.
Their desire to share the stories and faces behind the products they sell helps keep local and handcrafted art forms alive.
Union Yoga donates about 10 percent of its gross revenue every year to nonprofits whose core values they share.
