09.22.10
At the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City yesteday, Jane Wurwand, founder of Dermalogica, announced her company’s new major commitment to women’s economic independence in partnership with Kiva.org, the world’s first and largest online microlending marketplace.
Dermalogica has committed to help 25,000 women across the developing world achieve “Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship” (FITE).
Dermalogica has committed to help 25,000 women across the developing world achieve “Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship” (FITE).
The commitment will engage consumers through special FITE-themed packaging for Dermalogica’s five best-selling products. When a consumer goes to the FITE website (www.joinfite.org) and enters the special donation code printed on the FITE sleeve packaging, a donation will be allocated to help fund a loan for a women entrepreneur in the developing world.
Consumers will then also be incented to make additional direct donations to entrepreneurs.
The program will launch in the U.S. and more than 50 international markets, beginning in January 2011.
“This initiative is designed to help marginalized women in the belief that women’s financial independence is a key step in creating a healthy world economy,” said Wurwand. “From the beginning of our business, we’ve been an active part in helping women get their start, and now we’re extending the concept beyond our own industry.”
FITE aims to achieve maximum impact through awareness-raising, helping women entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses, and giving them the means to achieve financial independence.
To further maximize impact, Dermalogica is forging additional partnerships with other organizations committed to the empowerment of girls and women like 10 x 10 and Intel, who also announced a complimentary commitment today.
According to Premal Shah, president of Kiva, “the FITE commitment is game-changing in that it is the first consumer-facing partnership with a leading brand to have multitudinous impacts on user acquisition, loan volume, public education and donations to Kiva. For the first time ever, innovative technology will bridge the offline and online worlds, Kiva will be experienced through a global offline retail experience, broad issue awareness will be achieved, and there will be reverberating effects for women entrepreneurs around the world for years to come.”