Buying Influence

Questions and Answers

What is "Cause Spending?"
"Cause spending" is a short-hand way of saying this:

With every dollar you spend as a consumer, you have influence with that provider company, whether the company or your expenditures are large or small. It all adds up. Therefore, because you have a choice about which company to buy from, it is empowering for you to 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.

Does Buying Influence, Inc, have a Vision or Mission Statement?
Yes!
Vision Statement:
To change consumer spending habits so that they consciously make informed purchasing decisions regarding the corporations they support with their spending dollars.

Mission Statement:
Buying Influence Inc. is non profit organization committed to positively impacting substandard business practices so that corporations act fairly and in a socially responsible manner. This will be accomplished through two channels: First by gathering and disseminating specific facts about corporate behaviors; and second, by educating consumers regarding the power they possess to alter corporate behavior with every purchasing decision they make.

How were the corporations selected for review?
Initially we have restricted our corporate evaluations to publicly-held companies appearing on the Fortune 500 list, especially those who provide consumer goods and services. As we continue our evaluations we will be expanding to include privately-held corporations and smaller businesses.

What are the definitions of the letter grades?
Our letter grade definitions are similar to the letter grade definitions that we all received in school. An "A" means that the corporation's business practices are fair and equitable. A "B" means that there is an area or two that needs some review and improvement. A "C" means that there are several areas that need improvement. A "D" means that the corporation has questionable business practices. An "F" means that the corporation has failed; they do not incorporate fair and equitable business practices.

How were the corporate letter grades assigned?
We have developed 15 specific areas for review, and each area has assigned point values. The points are compiled and the letter grades are assigned based upon total points earned. For example, if the corporation has a person in charge of diversity, that criterion receives up to 5 points.

May I suggest a corporation for your review?
Yes! There are some criteria for requesting a corporate review. First, the company must be publicly traded. Please list the parent company name if possible. Second, just click here. Your communication to us will be kept in strictest confidence.

What if I don't agree with your grading of a particular company?
Be sure to review our grading guidelines we use to make a judgment and assign a letter grade. Also, you can view the detailed data we used in making our decision by clicking on the company name in the list of corporations. If you think that some of our data is missing or wrong, we want to hear from you! Contact Us.

What can a corporation do to raise their letter grade?
Of course each case is different. A representative from the corporation is encouraged to contact us. We can further explain or data, rationale, and discuss how the corporation can improve their performance and scoring in specific areas.

What can I do to support the efforts of Buying Influence?
Check our website frequently so that you are making informed purchasing decisions; sign up as a subscriber; and review our Top Ten ways you can make a difference.

What is an "affinity group?"
One of the criteria we use in assigning a letter grade to a corporation is whether or not they have affinity groups as part of their corporate culture. Affinity group members are employees with a common criterion, such as ethnic minority or female, who meet on a voluntary basis. Affinity groups serve two distinct purposes within a corporation. The first is as a support and networking group for the employees. Affinity groups are a way to get to know fellow employees, including management, on a social basis. This allows the employees to create a social structure for themselves within a company as well as fostering mentoring relationships with people they would not normally meet or have access to. The second purpose is supplying feedback to the company; in effect, functioning as focus group to help the company better understand if they are meeting the needs of the affinity group members. By combining these two activities, affinity groups breed a society of diversity and inclusion within a company, while providing a means to influence corporate structure and policy.