A Review of DoneGood: A One-Stop Shop for Ethical Shopping
Over the past few years, as I’ve gained awareness about human trafficking, I’ve begun to rethink some of my shopping habits in hopes of making my purchases do some good in the world. As I talk to several of you who are doing the same, I keep finding two things:
1) We care that the people making the products we buy are fairly and meaningfully employed
2) We sometimes find this kind of ethical shopping difficult, overwhelming, and time-consuming.
Enter DoneGood, or as Forbes calls them, the “Amazon of good brands.” Co-founder Cullen Schwarz recognizes what many of us know from experience, that “the number one barrier to making a purchase from a social impact brand is the time and effort it takes to find that company.” To help break down that barrier, DoneGood has created a website, browser plugin, and app that “make it as easy as possible for people to get what they need from companies that are doing good for people and the planet.”
DoneGood began in 2015 when Schwarz, then a political advisor in D.C., realized that the power he had to bring about change politically didn’t compare with the power that American consumers have through their spending habits. Schwarz claims that last year, Americans gave $400 billion to charity, but spent $130 trillion purchasing everyday items — this means that for every $1 donated to charity, $325 were spent on purchases.
Last year, Americans gave $400 billion to charity, but spent $130 trillion purchasing everyday items — this means that for every $1 donated to charity, $325 were spent on purchases.
DoneGood was born out of the idea that this purchasing power could be harnessed and used to create good for people and the planet. Through aggregating data from ethical certifiers like Fair Trade and B Lab, as well as conducting research of their own, DoneGood discovers ethical brands and features them and their products on the DoneGood platforms. Schwarz says their goal is to “create a one-stop shop” where consumers can go to find an ethically-produced version of whatever it is they’re looking for. In the four years since DoneGood started, they’ve partnered with over 300 ethical brands and helped divert over $500,000 of consumer dollars to them.
Their goal is to “create a one-stop shop” where consumers can go to find an ethically-produced version of whatever it is they’re looking for.
I have been using DoneGood for several months and it has revolutionized the way I shop. Here are a few reasons I love this tool, and why you will too:
It’s Easy to Use:
No matter how you shop, there’s an easy way to use DoneGood:
The website works like Amazon or other shopping sites. Search for what you want to buy and a variety of specific products from various DoneGood brands will pop up for you to browse.
With the browser plugin, DoneGood will recommend ethical versions of what you’re shopping for with a small banner on the right side of your screen.
On the app, do a quick search for what you want to buy, and DoneGood will provide links and information for brands and sites that sell this product.
I’m not particularly techy, and it took me no time to figure out how to use all the different DoneGood platforms; they’re user-friendly and they make ethical shopping hassle-free.
It Offers Discounts
Most of the brands that partner with DoneGood offer promo codes if you find their site through DoneGood. Just look at all the discounts to great brands available below!
![Promo codes for ethical brands — it’s a win-win!]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5511f9bee4b068878ae651fb/1555695102257-1HNP6ZH4GJ8AI2U446PB/donegood+discounts.png)
Promo codes for ethical brands — it’s a win-win!]
It Provides Meaningful Goods
Many of the brands using fair labor practices in the world are small, but passionate about doing good — just like us. Using DoneGood has helped me discover and support small businesses whose owners and employees alike are working to provide for their families and do good for the world. I love knowing the names and stories of the people who produce what I buy, and it makes those items meaningful to me.
It Has all Kinds of Products
We’re quick to think of clothing and accessories when it comes to ethically-produced goods, but there are companies all over the world who are ethically making all kinds of different products. Just a cursory look through DoneGood will reveal home goods, beauty products, bedding, food, and hundreds of other products all produced by people making a fair wage.
DoneGood believes that “conscious consumerism is the most powerful movement of our time,” and that “who we give our money to is the number one way we impact the world.” Change for the good is already happening in the consumer world and we, as buyers, have the power to accelerate that change by creating demand for more ethically-made products. Schwarz believes that by creating this demand, supporting ethical brands, and advocating for victims of human trafficking, Dressember advocates are “working on the most important thing in the world.”
I cannot recommend DoneGood highly enough! If you are seeking to shop more ethically, do yourself a favor and take advantage of this tool. Check out DoneGood here.
Happy shopping!
About the Author
Erin Flippin King is a freelance writer and editor, loving life in Jonesboro, AR with her husband, Aaron (same name, cute right?) and son, Sam. Erin enjoys dancing like a fool, joking at wildly inappropriate times, spending time in the sunshine, and Dr. Pepper. She recently earned her master's degree in Biblical Studies and Hebrew and shares her writing at erinflippinking.com.