Making a difference in the world is a goal many individuals strive toward. Contributing to society does not have to be difficult, and even the smallest of charitable actions can make a significant impact on the lives of others.

One simple way to become involved with charities is choosing to shop at stores and businesses with strong philanthropic missions. Many stores today are involved in philanthropic work and either donate time or part of their proceeds to charities worldwide. 

Love Your Melon

Love Your Melon is an organization that was started started by two college students from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and provides U.S.-produced hats to children battling cancer.

The organization uses a buy-one, give-one model. For every hat purchased, the organization gives a hat to a child fighting cancer. Organization members and volunteers dress up as superheroes and personally hand out the hats in hospitals all across the country.

The organization also provides emotional support for the children and their families, and donates extra proceeds to childhood cancer research initiatives.

“Love Your Melon does not just mindlessly throw money into cancer research foundations,” said Meghan McCaleb, junior in hospitality management and public relations for the organization’s team at Iowa State. They/we take the time out of our lives to visit these children and give them something to look forward to or to smile about.”

With the upcoming chilly temperatures, many people are looking for fall accessories. People can show their support for the organization by buying a Love Your Melon hat and crediting Iowa State when making the purchase. Hats are available online at www.loveyourmelon.com or by speaking to a campus representative. Students can also volunteer for Love Your Melon by contacting Nettie Sparkman at [email protected].

Ivory Ella

Ivory Ella is an online clothing and accessory store that offers clothing and accessories that display its signature elephant logo. A total of 10 percent of proceeds from every purchase are donated to www.savetheelephants.org to help in the fight against illegal elephant poaching.

According to its website, only 450,000 elephants are left in the wild today. By purchasing clothing from Ivory Ella, people not only represent the organization by wearing its brand, but also contribute their money to the fight for the safety of elephants worldwide.

Lush

Lush is an example of a larger corporation with a philanthropic business model. Specializing in handmade cosmetics, Lush sells soaps, shampoos, face products, makeup and more. Products are available online and in stores all across the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

The company goes the extra mile to ensure top quality products by actively opposing animal testing and practicing ethical buying. By strategically choosing ingredients that are ethically produced, the company is able to offer fresh, handmade products that have limited negative impact during production.

Not only does the company sell products that are ethically and environmentally friendly, but it also offers a product that is exclusively sold to raise money for charities. Currently, 100 percent of the proceeds from purchasing Charity Pots are given by the company to grassroots charities worldwide. 

“[I feel like the biggest impact Lush has] is how far reaching our Charity Pots are,” said Michelle Kerley, store manager at the Lush store in Des Moines. “Today, the initiative has donated more than $10 million to hundreds of charities.”

Amazon Smile

Amazon, one of the most popular online shopping stores, launched its own initiative to make a change.

AmazonSmile, which was started in 2013, is a program very similar to the original Amazon.com. The difference is that 0.5 percent of the proceeds of purchases are donated to a charity of the customer’s choice.

AmazonSmile is partnered with almost 1 million charities worldwide and offers the donation for the purchase of millions of products. In order to use the service, visit www.smile.amazon.com and log in using the same credentials you use to shop on Amazon.

Choosing to shop at stores that use a portion or all of their proceeds to make a difference is one way people can donate to various charities and philanthropic initiatives. The number of stores involved in charitable work is increasing, and choosing to shop at them is one way to make the world a better place.