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We always knew we wanted to be one of the brands that give back.
As an immigrant who came to settle in BC, Adela Beranek found herself in need to buy presents when coming home for her friends, family and their kids. The problem was, everywhere she looked she found companies prone to greenwashing or peddling inauthentic and unaffordable BC products.
Working in an art museum in Whistler, she also quickly became a BC arts enthusiast and decided to combine her passion to begin a meaningful business venture. It was here AGBC was created to become a business that helps circulate money in the local economy by selling and promoting high quality, sustainable gift items by local artists.
As our new business venture continued and our vision and mission evolved, it also became clear how we should direct our giving back policy and how important it was to us to participate in our community and the world-wide organizations we supported. AGBC is continuously inspired by the B-Corp movement to use business as a tool for making the world a better place, rather than a tool for personal profit.
In 2020, we proudly partnered with 1% for the Planet to donate 1% of all total sales to help fund environmental conservation projects worldwide. You can read more about this on our previous blog post.
This year, we have expanded further to partner with BC Parks Foundation to give back 5% of profits for all non-indigenous themed items, and with the IRSS (Indian Residential School Survivors Society) to give back 5% of profits for all indigenous-themed items. Here’s where our donations go:
Becoming a brand that gives back
We don’t want to be a brand who gives donations once a year at Christmas time or signed a few Facebook petitions last week. We want to be an industry role model for consistent participation where it truly matters. We want to be a vehicle for change.
Nature is such an inspiration for all the artists living on land now called BC.
As advocates for eco-friendly business operations and products, BC Parks is a way for us to help make a positive impact on the beautiful place we call home. By donating 5% of all profits to BC Parks, together with our customers, we can support our brand values while enhancing and preserving BC nature for future generations.
Not only do BC Parks cultivate our economy, our culture and our well-being, they also help keep the magic of British Columbia alive. With the sixth largest park system in the world, it’s crucial to help support our wildlife, habitat and ecosystems and keep BC what it is today: the majestic home of our mountains, lakes, bears, eagles and so much more.
At AGBC, we work hard to provide a safe and equitable platform to promote our indigenous art and artists. Although there is much more to learn, we stay committed to understand more about the history and culture of Canada, the products we promote, and make it part of our mission to seek ways to help create a brighter future - one of inclusivity and respect and understanding of indigenous cultural heritage.
The IRSS (Indian Residential School Survivors Society) is a registered non-profit society that strives to provide physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development and healing. This is conducted through culturally-based values and guiding principles for indigenous survivors, families, and communities. AGBC now donates 5% of all profits of indigenous-themed items to the IRSS to help assist First Nation Peoples in British Columbia through counselling, court support, information, referrals, workshops, and more.
It is our hope that with every small action we take, we can help to build a better world and create meaningful change. This January, we’ll be sharing how much we have been able to donate to each cause. Stay tuned!
Our Takeaway
Becoming a brand that gives back has been a journey to identify what is important to us and how we can participate in our wider community. It’s not just about our business and our products, it’s also about making a positive impact where we can and supporting the causes we truly believe in, such as sustainable gifting and equal opportunities for all.
We continue to work hard to make improvements - from our sustainable packaging to our quality products - and find new opportunities to give back.
Thank you again for every purchase from our store at AGBC. We hope you can shop happily knowing a portion of your sale will go towards one of the amazing organizations mentioned above. Please get in touch if you have any questions!