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Doing Good All Year Long – Supporting Communities with Direct Sales

Direct sellers don’t live in vacuums.

They live in their communities. They are your neighbors, friends, and family. And if they’re anything like you, they care about where they live and look for ways to make a difference. This is because direct sellers are people people—they thrive being around others and want to bring out the very best in everyone they know.

And for good reason: direct sellers have to be outgoing and willing to engage with strangers. Because these gregarious folks are capable of great empathy and caring, direct sellers are known to be among the first to donate time, money, and energy to charitable organizations.

Whether it’s the USANA Foundation, the Mary Kay Foundation, the Norwex Foundation, or another direct selling charity, many companies go to great lengths to help those in need. Before starting your own direct sales business, check out the parent company’s community action. If they’re working to make a difference around the world and in their own backyard, they can be trusted to provide solid business-building solutions.

Short- and Long-Term Solutions

There are over 1,100 direct selling companies in the United States, ranging from nutritional supplements to car insurance. Each empowers individuals to own and manage businesses and sell products they’re passionate about. And just like traditional businesses, direct sales companies encourage charitable work.

Philanthropy is second nature to direct sellers. With the ease in which they approach potential customers to join their business opportunity, there’s a general sense these individuals want to have a bigger impact beyond registering large sales—they want to establish a legacy through their actions. Direct sales companies recognize this need and leverage their resources to reach communities around the world.

For example, Plexus Worldwide strongly promotes giving and service by enabling its employees to support a cause. Each year, every Plexus Worldwide employee is given 16 hours of paid volunteer time during their “World of Service” event. Employees can choose which organizations they want to support, and they’ve made a notable impact in food and clothing drives.

Mary Kay Inc. has made substantial contributions to several organizations to educate, serve, and eradicate domestic violence. As shelters reported an uptick in violence during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Mary Kay Foundation awarded grants to support first responders helping women and children find safety from life-threatening situations.

Direct sales companies often select causes that reflect the heart of their missions. Norwex, a company dedicated to promoting non-toxic, sustainable household goods and reducing chemicals, supports Washed Ashore, a nonprofit focused on reducing ocean plastic waste. By taking the basis of their business—offering environmentally friendly cleaning products—Norwex is super-charging their efforts by cleaning up beaches and hosting recycling events.

Planting Seeds of Hope

USANA boasts over 500,000 active distributors worldwide, and since 2012, the USANA Foundation has relied on these forward-facing members to share their mission to provide meals to those suffering from food insecurity.

The USANA Foundation focuses on three areas: nourishment (emergency food aid and essential nutrition), equipment (providing resources for long-term success), and solutions (pursuing locally driven, sustainable resolutions to hunger). Because their mission is clear and focused—to end malnutrition around the world—USANA’s charitable arm can direct resources to targeted groups.

Studies indicate the ease of giving helps facilitate donations. And because USANA distributors can add a donation to the Foundation as a line item to their monthly Auto Order, many support the Foundation year-round. This charitable organization’s accessibility is something USANA’s distributors are proud to share with potential customers.

In addition to providing meals around the world, the USANA Foundation donates and sells Garden Towers—a simple, powerful solution that provides sustainable, nutritious food for people all over the world. Made from a long-lasting, durable material, each tower can hold up to 120 plants and be harvested for many years and improve countless lives for generations to come.

Simple but effective solutions like these help eliminate food uncertainty and make a difference in families and communities around the world. And because people like to do good, fun and innovative solutions like Garden Towers become driving factors in getting others to join the USANA Foundation’s mission.

Roll Up Your Sleeves

Virtually every direct sales company has unique charitable initiatives. It’s not just good karma to support charities—it’s good business. Direct sales companies support their communities because it’s the right thing to do. And as a result, people appreciate the positive change in their communities.

These philanthropic activities are engaging and fun, and they make a great difference for those they help—and for the distributors themselves. If you’re considering starting your own business and partnering with a direct sales company, investigate their charitable arm. It’s a natural partnership to help build your business and connect with the community.

Jeff Campbell