At Brightideas365 we aim to be more than just another fundraising company, that is why we give all of our profits to good causes. We do not believe that private companies should make a profit from fundraising.
So why did we set up Brightideas.today? Well, a number of conversations, and a little research unearthed some surprising facts.
We were shocked to discover…
- That the three major lotteries give just 22%-28% of their income to good causes, and can make large profits for their operators.
- That street fundrasing companies (‘chuggers’) often take an up-front fee of one years payments from good causes, meaning that if a person they sign up unsubscribes within a year the charity actually loses money, with the private operator again profiting, whether the charity makes money or not.
- That most online shopping fundraisers make profit for private individuals, normally donating just 1-2% to causes.
We wanted to do something different. That is why…
- 50% of our income plus 100% of our profits go to good causes (we do not pay dividends to shareholders).
- Our subscribers can choose exactly which charities they support with their subscription (and they can change at any time).
- We wanted a tangible product for for our subscribers. Why shouldn’t those that support good causes get rewarded. That’s why we’re a full magazine with features, discounts, puzzles, what’s on’s, and much more, not just a remote chance of winning a prize (even though we do have prize draws as well).
We hope to be a model for the future funding of the services and organisations we value. There will never be a substitute for government funding of course, but with an ageing population and a smaller workforce, we need to look at new sources of additional funding for our charities and community projects.
No one likes taxation or cutbacks, but we do like shopping, doing puzzles, winning prizes, etc. So our philosophy is, let’s find ways of funding services that we do like. That’s what Brightideas365 is all about, putting the ‘fun’ into fundraising (did we really just say that!). We also want to go further and support and promote other businesses that support services and communities. Our hope is that one day you might go to the supermarket and buy cleaning products where the profits go to environmental projects, or toothpaste that supports dental care in Africa.
This won’t happen overnight, we can’t realistically expect large private corporations to become social enterprises at the drop of a hat (and why should they), but we hope to be at the vanguard of a consumer movement that will eventually change the way the economy supports services.
This is not a political view (as an organisation we have no affiliation to any political party, and do not support any), but rather a personal one. It is not about nationalisation, privatisation, or any other ‘isation’, it’s just a pragmatic approach to one of societies biggest issues. We hope we can achieve something good, and that you will join us on the journey.
We’d love to know what you think about what we’re doing (good or bad). You can share your views here
Garry Webb
Founder and managing editor.