In this Supporter Story, we hear from Brad West, Founder of the Profit for Good Initiative, which promotes “Profit for Good” companies that donate the vast majority of their profits (90% or more) to effective charities. Brad is a long-time The Life You Can Save supporter who has generously connected us with a number of companies seeking to do the most good. In the post below, Brad shares how reading Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save inspired him to develop and promote his Profit for Good business model.
My name is Bradley West, and I believe in the power of consumer choices to drive social change.
I am thrilled to share the journey that led me to establish the Profit for Good Initiative (PFGI) and the transformative concept of “Profit for Good” businesses.
I founded the PFGI because I wanted to harness the power of consumers, employees, and other economic actors to create positive change and alleviate suffering on a global scale. My inspiration? The groundbreaking book by Peter Singer, The Life You Can Save.
Peter Singer’s book opened my eyes to the stark realities of extreme poverty and the incredible impact even a modest contribution can have on saving lives. His compelling call for individuals to take action and donate to effective charities ignited a spark within me. But what struck me even more deeply was the potential for businesses to play a transformative role in addressing these challenges.
Motivated by Singer’s teachings, I embarked on a journey to create an organization dedicated to transforming ethical consumption into a powerful tool for change. Thus, the Profit for Good Initiative (PFGI) was born.
At PFGI, our mission is to revolutionize the corporate landscape by reimagining the role of businesses in alleviating suffering and extreme poverty. Imagine if a significant portion of the world’s 8-10 trillion dollars in global net profits were channeled to where they could have the most impact. This is the vision we are striving to bring to life. At the heart of PFGI lies the concept of “Profit for Good” companies, or businesses where effective charities hold a vast majority of stockholder shares (90%+). When a consumer buys from a Profit for Good company, all, or almost all the profit generated from that exchange goes directly to the effective charities that own a stake in that company. And better yet, consumers support effective charities simply by purchasing the products and services they need, without having to make extra financial sacrifices. In a Profit for Good economy, every transaction has the power to create a more just and compassionate world.
Reading Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save started me on my journey into the world of effective giving. It inspired me to rethink business models and how consumers and philanthropists could collaborate to more rapidly reach a world without extreme poverty or factory farming. It gave me a newfound hope in the potential for widespread change. I now work tirelessly to help create a world where everyday purchases contribute not only to the growth of businesses but also to life-saving initiatives because I believe that when we unite our buying power, we create a force that can transform lives, one purchase at a time.
If you are interested in learning more about the Profit for Good model I encourage you to explore the Profit for Good Initiative and discover the “profit for good” businesses that are already making a difference.
You can also watch my recent TEDx Talk on Profit for Good here.
With gratitude,
Bradley West
Founder, Profit for Good Initiative
