Charity Pot supporting grassroots groups

Charity Pot was set up in 2007 with the aim of supporting small, grassroots organisations that could use a helping hand to continue the incredible work that they do.

We raise money for Charity Pot by selling a hand and body lotion of the same name. In November 2019 we also started selling a perfume called Grassroots in stores with a perfume library. 100% of the retail price paid by customers buying these products (minus the VAT, which has to go to the Government) is given away to fund grassroots organisations working on animal protection, human rights and environmental issues around the world. We prioritise groups campaigning to create long term change which will benefit large sections of society and we try to help those whose radical stance and approach might make it difficult for them to source funding from elsewhere.

We prefer to fund smaller organisations, especially those who have limited resources and struggle to find funding elsewhere. Almost all the groups funded by Charity Pot have an annual income of less than £250 000 (most are substantially less) and run entirely or predominantly by volunteers. Charity Pot grants provide targeted funding to the small, grassroots groups Charity Pot is now available in more than 35 different countries around the world and has raised over £50 million globally since its launch.

In the last financial year (ending in 2019) the UK Charity Pot fund gave out over 260 grants to support groups from all over the world. In that same time period our UK stores ran almost 290 local Charity Pot events to support groups from within their communities.

This added up to roughly £1.3 million in donations to groups from around the world just from the UK fund!

Last year Charity Pot UK was able to support roughly 500 different groups internationally thanks to the work our shops are putting in to sell Charity Pot hand and body lotion.

Supporting Grassroots

Charity Pot grants provide targeted funding to the small, grassroots groups working in the areas of animal rights, human rights and environmental protection. We prioritise groups campaigning to create long term change which will benefit large sections of society and we try to help those whose radical stance and approach might make it difficult for them to source funding from elsewhere.

Prioritising campaigning projects

Most donors favour the funding of short term measures which provide quick results and feel good images. However, short term measures are unlikely to create lasting change. Grassroots groups are very effective at addressing the root cause of problems as they are working towards long term solutions. Their messages and demands are also unpolluted by corporate interests and political factors. It is grassroots groups, involved in nonviolent direct action and campaigning, that play a vital role in challenging popular opinion and pushing for progression in society. By funding these groups, we are supporting change that is worth fighting for.

Supporting new groups

Newly established  groups, especially those reacting to a new issue (such as fracking) can be very effective at defending the environment, people and animals affected. Of course, there is added risk in supporting a newly formed group, but it’s one we think is worth taking. Many grassroots groups, especially those engaged in campaigning, are not registered charities. If we limited our funding to only those groups that have registered with the Charity Commission we would severely impact our ability to support important community groups. Whilst charity registration may give a group the added incentive to be accountable, it would say little of their ethics, effectiveness or need.

Events and Grants

Lush funds grassroots groups in two different ways; through local Charity Pot events, or with a grant from the central Charity Pot Fund.

Events

Local Charity Pot events were created as a way of giving stores the opportunity to support local grassroots organisations that their teams are passionate about from within their communities. Having local groups for these events allows the stores to help to create a sense of community support between these group, their causes and our customers and gives groups the ability to share their own work with local people who otherwise might not have heard of it.

During a Charity Pot event all the money raised through sales of Charity Pot will go to the group the store has chosen to host.

Grants

All the money raised through the sales of Charity Pot (outside of the local events) is placed into a central fund from which grants can be given to groups working in the areas of: Animal Rights, Environmental Protection and Human Rights. Charity Pot grants provide one-off funding to small, grassroots organisations. We prioritise projects that aim to create long-term change as Lush believe it is important to fund projects aiming to target the root cause of a problem, not just its effects.

Charity Pot grants can range in size between £100 – £10 000. Groups are asked to submit an online application to the central Charity Pot fund with details of their group, project, budget etc. which will be looked at by a funding panel before a decision is made.

Whereas local events are designed to support local groups the central Charity Pot fund aims to support as many different organisations as possible from all over the world.