Impact Update | August, 2016

$428,500!!

In just three years, we've donated $428,500 to help build toilets for those in need. Holy crap!

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We couldn’t have done it without you.
And you. And you. You. Oh, and especially you.

In celebration of our biggest ever donation, we wanted to share an update of our impact with you. And, very importantly, say a gigantic THANK YOU for your support.

We started Who Gives A Crap to prove business can be done differently, and a whole lot better. And as you know, we care about the planet and about people. That’s why we make environmentally friendly products and donate 50% of our profits to organisations like WaterAid Australia to help improve sanitation for those in need.

$2,500

Just three years ago, we made our first donation of $2,500 – so we sure have come a long way. $428,500 is a hell of a lot of money, and to demonstrate how much of a lot it is, here's what you could buy with it:

We love toilets

While we could have bought enough balloons for the best water fight in history, we’ve chosen to donate 50% our profits to organisations like WaterAid Australia to help improve sanitation in places that need it most. We love toilets because they improve health conditions, provide dignity, and, this part is amazing, every dollar invested in sanitation brings about $5.50 in increased economic prosperity. Way to go toilets!

To Jeronimu a toilet means the world

It’s one thing talking numbers, but it’s another thing hearing stories from the kinds of people we’re able to help. Something we decided early on was not to tell our charity partners how to spend their money. They’re the experts. So we donate to WaterAid Australia’s general sanitation funding, and their teams on the ground figure out the best way to improve conditions. And they work their magic.

Before WaterAid Australia could help out, Jeronimu’s family, who live in a small village in Timor-Leste, would have to go to the toilet out in the open near their house. As you can imagine, this was rather unpleasant, and even worse: it caused disease in the community. On top of the lack of toilets, there was no running water close by. So Jeronimu’s mum would have to make the two hour return journey for water every day, three times a day.

Now, thanks to WaterAid Australia, life is a little easier. With running water and better sanitation, Jeronimu and his sisters don’t get sick as often and his mum has the time to grow betel nuts to sell. So much can be done just by buying something as small as toilet paper (and tissues and paper towels, of course!).

Enough about toilets.

Our families say we talk about toilets too much. So let's pause for something else. Remember Magic Eye books? They were the best. If you don't, bless your little youthful socks. For the rest of you, tell us what you see!

Well? Did you see it?

Now let's talk about trees

Trees are our second favourite word*

You might not know this, but the original idea for Who Gives A Crap came about because we wanted people to stop wiping their bums with trees and switch to something more sustainable. Over 90% of toilet rolls sold in Australia are made from trees (!!!), and when the average person goes to the toilet around 7 times a day, well, you do the maths.

This is why we don’t make any of our products from trees.

*Our third favourite is tyrannosaurus rex

By choosing to make our products the way we do, we've saved 30,797 trees. Boom!

We've also saved:

Think of all the Karma points we've earned together!

OK, Time for a group huddle

Help us get to a million (and beyond!)

While we’ve saved thousands of trees and our donations have provided sanitation to tens of thousands of people, there are still roughly 2.3 billion (yes, billion with a B!) people left who don’t have access to a toilet.

That’s why we’ll be working overtime to reach $1 million in donations by this time next year. It’s crazy ambitious, but with your support, we think we can do it. Whaddaya say? Are you in?!

So, how can you help?

And the easiest one: by sharing this impact report with everyone you know!

We know you'll love our products, but if for any reason you don't, send them back for a full refund.