"Cause Spending" is the New Twist on Consumer Activism
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Buying Influence, Inc. is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization seeking to guide consumers
to harness their buying power so that corporations make more socially responsible business decisions.
We are helping to engineer a new paradigm called "cause spending." With every dollar you spend, you,
the consumer, can choose to support a company that mirrors your causes and values. Collectively,
informed consumers can be a powerful tool for change.
What is Cause Spending?
“Cause spending” is a short-hand way of saying this: With every dollar you choose to
spend as a consumer, you have influence with that provider company – whether the company or
your expenditures are large or small. Think of each dollar you spend as a kind of vote; cause
spending is voting with your dollars to support a company. It all adds up. Therefore, because you
have a choice about which company to buy from, it is empowering for you to practice making
conscious spending choices, also called cause spending. Buy from companies who mirror what is
socially important to you: your values. If green issues are important to you, then buy from
companies who score high in that area; if women and minority inclusion at all levels of the
corporation is important to you, buy from companies with a high ranking in that area. In this way
your spending power translates into influence.
Remember: Spending that supports causes = Cause Spending
Buying Influence is beginning the process of grading Fortune 1000 companies in important
socially-responsible areas so that you can make informed choices as you practice cause spending
as a consumer. Click here to see
the corporate reviews.
Buying Influence Causes for our 'Cause Spending' Campaign
Buying Influence seeks to provide information to consumers about corporations on a variety
of issues, concerns, or causes: women, minority, gay/lesbian, and green. In this way, consumers
can make their own choices for socially-conscious spending habits. Developing this habit is
called "cause spending," which simply is the act of supporting a specific area of interest by
spending your consumer dollars with corporations that are friendly to your cause.
Key to the success of the organization is Linda Eakes, Executive Director of Buying Influence,
Inc. “Taking the conceptual view, the very idea that power is in the hands of people is a very old,
very democratic concept. The idea of 'cause spending' is a new concept to many people,” says.
She is convinced that most people want to do the right thing, and giving them pertinent information
about how cause spending can benefit what is important to them will increase their ability to
make informed choices.
Factoids Related to Cause Spending
From the Ethical Corporation website: "The market for ethical consumerism has been growing at
14% per annum, with the latest Ethical Purchasing Index produced by Cooperative Bank valuing the
market at $34 billion."
"Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism," Patricia Aburdene. Hampton Roads
Publishing Company, publ 2005. The subtitle of this book is "Seven trends that will transform
how you work, live, and invest." This book describes why conscious consumerism is on the rise,
and where it will go. We especially like the conclusion which discusses transforming capitalism,
which includes cause spending concepts.
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