The Me to We Story
WHAT IS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Me to We is a new kind of social enterprise for people who want to help change the world with their daily choices. Through our media, socially responsible choices and leadership experiences, we support Free The Children’s work with youth creating global change. Every trip, t-shirt, song, book, speech, thought and choice adds up to a fun, dynamic lifestyle that's part of the worldwide movement of we.
Through donations and in-kind contributions, Me to We is designed to help bring Free The Children's already low administrative costs to zero while, at the same time, encouraging people to change the world with their daily choices.
Think we. Join the movement.
Me to We...
...IS AN EXCITING NEW MODEL.
Me to We is not only a way of life but also a social enterprise designed to help support the work of Free The Children. Half of its annual profits on an annual basis are given to our charitable partner Free The Children with the other half reinvested to sustain the growth of the enterprise. Through Me to We, our dream is to bring Free The Children's already low administrative rate down to zero in the next five years, meaning 100% of all donations to Free The Children will go directly to projects. This is unprecedented in the charitable sector for an organization of Free The Children's scope and scale.
...DOES WHAT FREE THE CHILDREN CANNOT.
Because Free The Children is a global organization, it faces varying restrictions on how it can operate as a registered charity in Canada, the United States and other developed countries. As a result, in some countries, Free The Children is limited in its scope and scale to sell products, provide advocacy or empowerment programs, or offer services like international volunteer travel. Me to We, as a separate and distinct social enterprise, is able to do all of this and more.
...CARES ABOUT ITS TEAM.
All team members in both North America and in all offices in India, Kenya and Ecuador, including local staff, have enhanced medical benefits and insurance. We also provide scholarships, travel opportunities and support services for emotional and physical health.
...WALKS THE TALK.
We carbon offset all international volunteer travel programs through the planning of tens of thousands of trees through tree nurseries, planting programs and local environmental initiatives. Last year alone, Me to We supported its partners to plant over 150,000 trees.
...SUPPORTS FREE THE CHILDREN.
Over the last year alone, Me to We donated more than $1 million to Free The Children in cash and in-kind contributions. This translates into Me to We providing cash donations totaling over $400,000. These funds were used by Free The Children to help pay salaries of many of its administrative staff, provide free rent of its office space in Toronto and assist with other administrative costs that otherwise would have been financed through general donations. In addition, more than $600,000 in-kind was donated by way of Me to We team members providing thousands of hours of volunteer service to Free The Children. This also includes training, workshops and consulting to Free The Children projects.
...IS EFFICIENT.
Me to We keeps its costs as low as possible. All salaries in of Me to We employees in North America are in line with Imagine Canada results of the Canadian charitable sector compensation study as well as that of Charity Navigator in the United States.
...IS TRANSPARENT.
Me to We is annually audited by Kestenberg Rabinowicz Partners LLP to ensure annual donation amounts are met. Me to We has a donation agreement prepared by Torys LLP and agreed to by respective boards of directors. Both boards of directors ensure that Me to We is living up to its mission to help Free The Children achieve its goals.
...CREATES CHANGE.
Me to We has already lowered Free The Children's overall administrative rate by 18%; has planted tens of thousands of trees; has saved over 135,000 pounds of pesticides from the environment by only purchasing organic cotton; has touched the lives of over 550,000 young people. Me to We staff have collectively volunteered over 22,000 hours for Free The Children.
...PROVIDES PRICELESS PUBLIC RELATIONS SUPPORT.
Me to We provides constant support to share Free The Children's message every chance it gets. At the end of every Me to We speech, as part of a special section in the back of every Me to We Book, as part of every Me to We leadership workshop and an integral aspect of every volunteer trip, Free The Children's work is highlighted. Free The Children's message reaches millions of people every year because of Me to We's efforts.
...REDEFINES THE BOTTOM LINE.
Me to We measures the bottom line, not by dollars earned, but by number of lives we change, our contributions to support our charitable partner, and the positive social and environmental impact we make.
...IS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS MODEL.
Me to We, along with Craig and Marc Kielburger, has been recognized by numerous prestigious awards for this new model of social entrepreneurship. One of the most notable honours is the national Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The nationally televised award celebration spoke of how Me to We has been able to use business practices to create a new definition of a triple bottom line.
