Patagonia pays it forward as proceeds from Black Friday will be donated to local, environmental non-profits
With the biggest consumer shopping day of the year happening this week on Black Friday, outdoor gear company Patagonia has chosen to make it about generosity and caring for our planet.
The company announced this week that it will donate 100% of global Black Friday sales in stores and online to grassroots organizations working in local communities to protect the air, water and soil for future generations.
The company will donate to small groups, often underfunded and under the radar, who work on the front lines. Patagonia also plans to provide information in its stores and on their website about how to get in touch with these groups.
Patagonia has long been at the forefront of reducing its carbon footprint, including the company’s reliance on fossil fuels. They also fund grassroots environmental organizations all year long by giving away 1% of their sales, which to date totals $74m.
"During a difficult and divisive time, we felt it was important to go further and connect more of our customers, who love wild places, with those who are fighting tirelessly to protect them. At Patagonia, we will grow and deepen our resolve to protect what we love. We will fight harder and smarter, and use every means at our disposal to prevail for the sake of the country, the planet, and the wild places and creatures that need our voice," the company said.
Patagonia was also one of hundreds of companies that signed a letter to President-elect Donald Trump calling for a low carbon USA and continued participation in the Paris Agreement, in order to provide the long-term direction needed to keep global temperature rise below 2°C.