The Fair Society is a grassroots movement, a social enterprise, a community with a mission to create a society for ourselves and our children that is built on our ethos of freedom, altruism, integrity and respect.
Our focus is on highly original fundraising campaigns. We will either create a really special event or bespoke product to be sold, or work with one of our small business partners to do the same, and all profit will be given to a chosen small charity partner. It could be a luxury silk scarf, a social media user-generated content campaign or challenge, whatever it is it will be original and often we will involve our members in the creative process.
As a social enterprise we are a for-profit business with a purpose, a purpose to do good. The business needs to make a profit and be self-sustaining so that when we create fundraisers the business can cover the costs so that all profit is donated. There are so many charities and marketing companies used by charities always looking for donations, only a fraction of which ends up going to the actual cause. We will ensure, with complete transparency, that all donations (less unavoidable costs like bank charges) are donated to the charity they were meant for.
Small, independent businesses are the lifeblood of a thriving society. In Australia 97% of all businesses are small (less than 20 employees), in the UK more than 99% of all businesses employ less than 49 people and in the USA 99.9% of all businesses are small or SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises). In europe almost two thirds of all employees work in SMEs. So it is easy to comprehend how important entrepreneurs and small businesses are.
Importantly, small businesses are the antidote to the consolidation by larger companies which creates homogeneity and a lack of choice and freedom for both employees and customers. Small, independent businesses offer a point of difference and reflecting the culture and needs of their local region. They also create networks of financial interdependence that helps the region prosper. Money spent in a small business pays employees who can spend at other local businesses and the community thrives rather than filling the boots of the huge corporations. And of course, cash is even better as the banks don't get to take a bite of every transaction. Ten dollars (pounds/euros...) cash is still worth ten dollars after it has been spent a hundred times but ten dollars spent on a card reduces by a few percent with every purchase until eventually the bank has it all!
We partner with small businesses that share our values and promote their story and product/service to our members. Our joint fundraising campaigns are created by selecting from our charity and small business partners and we have many more avenues planned to help raise awareness and sales for them.
There are now so many charities and not-for-profit organisations that people have 'charity fatigue'. This describes people who no longer give to charities despite having done so in the past. I believe they are also tired of feeling that their donations don't make much of a difference to the cause they are hoping to support. Added to that is an unease with the internal operational costs of many charities together with the, in my opinion, obscene share of donations retained by the big marketing companies, the ones we call 'chuggers'. Whilst every business has some operating costs, I believe that if only a small percentage of someone's donation (sometimes less than 10%) actually goes to the charity the donor should be made aware of this. Obviously, they are not. The charity has nothing to lose, they invest nothing in the marketing so anything they receive is a bonus, yet the marketing companies make millions and the generosity of the donor is abused. It's the lack of transparency that is the problem.
However small charities often far more closely resemble what we traditionally believe a charity should be. Many are established by people who have a very personal reason to do so; they have a drive and purpose that can't be matched by anyone unconnected to the cause. And they produce tangible results whether it be a service provided or in research. An important thing to remember here is that although medical research, for example, may be funded by a specific charity looking for a specific treatment, findings are often beneficial to other causes. Therefore all research has the potential to benefit everyone.
We partner with small and medium charities that align with our values. We focus mostly (but not exclusively) on children, their health and wellbeing, as they are literally the future of humanity.
You can subscribe to our newsletter and become a Society Member for free and you will then be kept updated with all our important news, developments and fundraisers.
Alternatively, for the price of a few cups of coffee you can become a Society Partner. As well as being a 'shareholder' in The Fair Society you will be able to contribute content, propose your small business for co-created charity fundraisers and other marketing, suggest charities you would like us to support and lots of other special 'partner-only' beautiful products and offers.
But more than anything, by joining us and helping to grow our little corner of a better world, you will be doing something with purpose that will produce tangible, real results we all benefit from, now and into the future.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is all that ever has."
Margaret Mead