Are you hooked on “daily deal” websites? If so, you can turn your shopping steals into great deals for charitable organizations. SocialGoodies.com is a daily deal site that exists solely for the purpose of benefitting charities while saving you money. We talked with Carie Salter, founder of Social Goodies, to learn more about this socially responsible retail site and how it differs from other daily deal websites.
Are you hooked on “daily deal” websites? If so, you can turn your shopping steals into great deals for charitable organizations. SocialGoodies.com is a daily deal site that exists solely for the purpose of benefitting charities while saving you money. We talked with Carie Salter, founder of Social Goodies, to learn more about this socially responsible retail site and how it differs from other daily deal websites.
Miso Vegan: What exactly is Social Goodies?
Carie Salter: Social Goodies is a website focused on funding the good work of great charities via the sale of curated national lifestyle, home, beauty and fashion deals. For us charity is not a gimmick, it’s our entire reason for being. That’s why Social Goodies offers fantastic deals at up to 70% off retail and then donates 20% of the gross purchase price of every deal to only three carefully-selected charities at any given time.
Miso Vegan: What inspired you to launch Social Goodies?
Carie Salter: I was inspired to start Social Goodies when performing volunteer consulting work with the Harvard Business School Association of Southern California Community Partners. At the time, it became evident to me that many amazing nonprofits were having a tough time because their endowments were being hit at the same time donors were tightening their belts. I started thinking about how I could use some money I had available to help create a new funding source for charities that could continue for years and years to come (as opposed to just writing a few meaningful checks to certain organizations). At the time, daily deal sites were just beginning to become popular and I thought the business model was ideally-suited for funding charity. Hence, Social Goodies was born!
Miso Vegan: What makes Social Goodies different from other daily deal websites?
Carie Salter: There are several things that set us apart from other daily deal sites. First and foremost, we’re in business to fund the good work of great charities and make a difference in the world—not to fill our coffers. As such, transparency and accountability are of the utmost importance. While many businesses pledge to donate a “portion of proceeds” to charity, we contribute 20% of the gross purchase price of every deal sold (we even have a dynamic tally on our site). We only feature three carefully-selected charities on our site at any given time because we want to make sure they receive meaningful donations. Further, we form contractual relationships with the charities we feature and provide a full accounting of all the funds we receive on their behalf. We don’t just put a logo on our site and promise to make a donation; we make a commitment.
Miso Vegan: What kinds of deals can we expect from Social Goodies?
Carie Salter: Of course, in order to make a difference we have to make sales, and we do that by offering our customers incredible national deals — up to 70% off — from really terrific, socially-conscious retailers in the lifestyle, home décor, fashion and beauty arenas. Given the editorial background of our promotions manager, our retailers tend to offer products with a distinct coolness factor, which adds to the appeal of deals on our site. And, because the deals are national as opposed to local, and are on products as opposed to services, people can purchase and use these deals from the comfort of their own home no matter where they live!
Miso Vegan: What charities do you work with?
Carie Salter: We work with three carefully-selected national charities from different sectors at any given time. For instance, right now on our website we’re featuring a charity that focuses on conserving nature, one that provides support services to military families and one that helps protect missing and exploited children.
Miso Vegan: How do you pick and choose the charities?
Carie Salter: We poll our members, retailers and staff to generate suggestions about the charities we should feature on our site. However, that’s just the beginning! Because we want to be responsible stewards of our customers’ capital, we have a rigorous selection process for our charities. Charities that are featured on our site have proven over time that they are financially responsible, have the structure and staff in place to execute their mission and have contributed to making the world a better place.
Miso Vegan: How can readers get the best daily deals on Social Goodies?
Carie Salter: Readers can check out our deals and sign up for our newsletter by visiting SocialGoodies.com. We have several deals running at any given time, so there are a lot of ways for customers to save money and give back to charity at the same time!
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