Celebrating the 20th anniversary of its founding this year, 1% For The Planet supports businesses to support environmental solutions by donating 1% of revenue each year. Kate Williams took the Vermont-based group’s reins as CEO in 2015 and oversees its work of certifying donations, advising on giving strategies and amplifying the impact of its network.
David Hessekiel: Tell me a bit the personal and professional journey that led you to become the CEO of 1% for the Planet.
Kate Williams: When I was 18 I had the opportunity to spend 30 days in some big mountains. Everything about the trip was hard - lingering snowpack and additional snowstorms, missed food rerations as a result, and then one of our leaders broke his leg necessitating a pretty involved evacuation (this was in the pre-cell phone era). In the midst of it all, I was given opportunities to lead beyond what I had thought was my capability and I felt the sharp edge of real responsibility through the 48 hours it took to do the evacuation. And tired, hungry, and anxious as I was, I absolutely loved it.
"This" is what I want to do, I thought as I watched the helicopter fly off into the sunset (quite literally) from the snowy pass, transporting our broken legged leader to the hospital. "This" was a combination of lead in meaningful ways and work for the health and beauty of our planet. My career since that time has really been an exploration of how to do "this," starting as an outdoor educator, and evolving into an environmental nonprofit leader. I was intentional in my development, and also open to serendipity. And that combination of intentional prep and openness to opportunity led me to 1% for the Planet where I feel like I'm able to embody the "this" that I committed to back in those mountains.
Kate Williams has led 1% For The Planet as CEO since 2015
David Hessekiel: I understand the 1% for the Planet experienced very healthy growth during the pandemic. What do you attribute that to?
Kate Williams: I believe it was a combination of existing momentum, growing consumer trends toward interest in and choice to purchase brands that represent solutions, and the kind of wake up call of the pandemic.
In terms of existing momentum, we were already on a growth path and some of what we saw in the pandemic was building on that as companies that had already identified 1% for the Planet had the time and focus to make the commitment. In terms of consumer trends, the data from 2019-2020 shows this incredible swell of interest in aligning purchasing with values; businesses saw 1% for the Planet as a credible way to communicate the credibility of their purpose for the planet to these consumers. And lastly, we all saw in the pandemic how fast and how global change can be. I think in some way this translated to a greater urgency around climate change and other environmental issues which created new interest in our model as a way to take action in the face of such urgency.
David Hessekiel: How many businesses have taken the pledge and how much does that add up to in giving to environmental causes? Are all of your members “the likely suspects” meaning US-based, relatively small green and outdoor industry firms or are they more varied in size and industry?
Kate Williams: Our members don't just pledge - they give their 1% every year, and we certify that they are doing so. Currently we have more than 5,000 members globally, and over the lifetime of our organization our members have given more than $410 million USD to environmental nonprofits. Our membership represents more than 65 different business industries, and range in size from small start up to multi-million dollar global brands. We truly believe that the 1% for the Planet is an investment in positive impact that is becoming a cost of doing business, like paying rent or staff.
David Hessekiel: Please share a few examples of the diverse companies that are members and how they have directed their environmental giving?
Kate Williams: Our new members joining in July of this year showcase the diversity of companies in our network. And across our growing network, we've certified more than $60 million USD in giving this year, to nonprofit working across our impact areas: Rights to Nature, Resilient Communities, Conservation & Restoration, and Just Economies.
1% For The Planet
David Hessekiel: A part of 1% for the Planet’s value proposition is that you provide members with guidance on creating impactful environmental giving programs. Describe some of the typical questions you help companies grapple with.
Kate Williams: The advising work we do is core to our model, and also one of our favorite aspects of the work. In our work to help companies to develop the most effective and impactful giving strategies for them, we ask about the geography they want to focus on (e.g. local to where their staff are, or covering their supply chain, or focused on landscapes aligned with their product or service), we ask about the kind of impact they want to have (e.g. direct on the ground or more leveraged to grow an organization), we ask about whether they want to have volunteer opportunities for their staff, we ask about the kinds of stories they want to be able to tell, and more. Through this process, we're able to home in on best fit partners for each of our members.
David Hessekiel: This year 1% for the Planet marks 20 years since it was founded by Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard and Blue Ribbon Flies' Craig Matthews. How would you like to see the group evolve between now and its 25th anniversary?
Kate Williams: Our purpose is to inspire action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. We operate with positive urgency in the context of this purpose, so we are focused on growing our impact (direct giving to environmental partners) at an ever increasing rate by growing our global business membership significantly and by growing our newly launched Planet Impact Fund. We're excited for the good, big work ahead!
