Cynical About Starbucks (RED)
This may tick-off some people, but let's look at the math regarding Starbuck's "Starbucks Goes (RED)" campaign for a second. The deal is that they'll give $0.05 from every purchase of one of their 3 select drinks to the Global Fund to help people in Africa.
Let's say 1,000,000 people participate. That would generate $50,000 for Africa. Not bad, I guess.
HOWEVER, let's say the select beverages cost only $3 each. If all the participants donated that $3 directly to the fund, THREE MILLION DOLLARS could be given. Even if the special beverages only cost $1 each, that would still be TWENTY TIMES more than the $0.05 Starbucks will give on your behalf.
OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS could be raised by simply donating outright.
And there you have it. This is a great way to start off the Holidays and a great way to get a little pick-me-up from doing good. But, if people would just think through the red tape (no pun intended), we could all do SO SO SO much more.
So go to Starbucks and get your drink — but take out another $3 bucks and send it in. Get 3 of your friends to do the same. If enough people do this, Africa could truly be changed.
Comments:
How ironic!
I just got a simple cup of coffee at Starbucks on Friday when I was in VA to visit family for the holidays… I read the cardboard sleeve around the cup and started ranting!
1. I am in shock because I literally vented word-for-word your arguments and about every phrase you did, in the car to my husband a few days ago. Glad we have identical rationale!!
2. Relieved to know someone else is as disgusted as I am about Starbucks tiny “attempt” at looking like they truly contributed to Africa!
I think disgust is a bit harsh of a term. At least they are doing something. My only issue here is instead of sending $3 to Africa, we send $1 to Africa and $2 to us. I think we need just as much charity here nowadays than the rest of the world.
I agree re: “disgust” — cynical is still the best way to describe my opinion in this matter.
And I TOTALLY agree about helping at home. Out of those 1 million people, if they gave $1 to “Africa” and $1 to the “USA,” both countries would benefit. TWO DOLLARS! TWO MILLION DOLLARS!
The problem, though, is that the mass public has a negative image in regard to sponsorship and charity giving — so it’s up to us to change that!
My personal opinion,
How about everyone stop going to Starbuck’s period? Even though every dollar helps, I feel like it is patronizing for a giant like Starbucks to throw chump change at a continent that they have abused economically for years.
See here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6086330.stm
What people need to do is support transparent coffee, roasters that pay fair prices. Support local coffee roasters that purchase relationship coffees. Support people providing fair wages to the artisan farmers, the people that devote their lives to growing coffee for fat Americans but don’t have clean drinking water.
So think about doing something meaningful for holidays…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU&eurl=http://joshuablankenship.com/blog/
Thanks for the great post!
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I couldn’t agree more. I’ve always been appalled at their Ethos Water ‘campaign’. “Buy our cool bottle of water and you’ll be helping to provide clean water for people who need it” = “Buy this ridiculously expensive water that we’re making a TON of profit on while we give a whole $.05 to help provide clean water for someone.” Seriously - it’s $.05 from the sale that goes to the cause.