When we thought of I Love Nice People back in 2015, we had two core ideas that we wanted to base the organization around. The first being that we wanted to spread kindness, however, how we would do that was still to be discovered. The second was to be able to give back to organizations Kate and I truly believed in. The second was really the basis of I Love Nice People and all it has turned out to be.
As I am sure many of you can empathize with, Kate and I always wanted to be able to donate to organizations who were positively impacting and changing the world. Aside from grants, true non-profit organizations survive thanks to donations from people like us!
Unfortunately, just like most broke college students or even broke working individuals, we were discouraged by the fact we were scraping coins out of our couch to buy food for ourselves; the thought of being able to donate to a cause, although it is extremely important, was not exactly at the forefront of our priorities.
Countless times I would find myself on the donation page of an organization I loved. Typically, but not always, these organizations have predetermined donation amounts you can choose from. In my case, these amounts usually started around $50 and went into the thousands. I would find myself on these pages feeling discouraged by the fact that I could only donate $5 or $10 dollars. Although every little bit counts, I felt embarrassed donating what seemed to be such a little amount and ultimately thought, “my donation won’t make a difference.”
It was this mindset (although not a very positive one) that ultimately shaped I Love Nice People and our mission.
Feel no shame because I am the exact same way, but how many of you do not think twice when it comes to buying a new piece of clothing for yourself even if it means you may have to cut your monthly budget in another spending category? Clothing makes us feel good! It is important to purchase and wear pieces that make you feel beautiful!
As I said, I would feel embarrassed about not wanting to donate $50 to a cause but I didn't think twice when it came to dropping $30 on a new shirt. I can’t justify the logic or thought process behind this other than putting my own happiness above a cause I believed in. I am not proud of it, but that is just the reality!
This is where the idea of I Love Nice People came about and where our first core idea “spreading kindness” came into play. Through creating a non-profit give-back clothing line, we were able to combine our two core values into one business model! We figured if we started a clothing line that stated I Love Nice People on it and donated a portion of each item purchased, we would solve the moral dilemma many others and we face - making ourselves happy while still being able to contribute to amazing causes.
With that being said we are very proud to commit to our customers and charitable partners that 40 percent of each item purchased is donated directly to our partner at the time. Before anything is taken away for business expenses or other fees, 40 percent of each item that you purchase is deducted and set aside in a holding account until it is time for us to donate. This means that you can continue to make yourself feel beautiful by purchasing clothes, but you are donating to an incredible cause at the same time. No embarrassment, no shame, no remorse, only feeling beautiful and good about yourself. It is a win, win!