Drew's+Paper

//**__1% For The Planet __**//  Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, are extremely passionate environmentalists that started up and are still running very successful businesses. But for these two business men it was not enough to know good business but it was also important for them to push to save and protect our natural resources. ==== In 2001 these men wanted to push their thoughts and feelings on everyone else, so the two men started a plan to encourage more businesses to donate 1% of sales to environmental groups. Yvon calls this idea "//Earth Tax//." Craig on the other hand keeps it straight forward and calls it //1% For The Planet//. Later on, Craig's name stuck. The following year //1% For The Planet// throws an official gathering at the Patagonia store in San Francisco, California. Twenty-one small businesses: mom and pop shops, coffee shops, guide services, outfitters, restaurants, breweries/wineries signed to be apart of, //1% For The Planet.// ==== ==== After the first attempted Chouinard and Mathews did not want to stop there, a second big push took place at the Fly Fishing Retailer show in Denver, Colorado, they hit a group of environmentalists that their business and the office depends on the environment. Now at this point multiple people and guide services were hooked. Now membership is really starting to take off because everyone wants in on this movement; for the most part on the West Coast of the United States and in outdoor industry. Besides Chouinard, members such as Jack Johnson who at the time just released an album, and printed on the back of the CD case, 1% FTP. Chouinard puts out a book //Let My People Go Surfing//, this book tells the story behind 1% FTP. With all of this publicity 1% FTP starts bringing on new team members on a frequent basis. ==== ==== 1% FTP hits the big news when NBC puts them under the spot light in its //Making a Difference// series. In working with the Charture Institute, the first actual 1% FTP local chapter is put into action: 1% For The Tetons, in Jackson, Wyoming. This chapter added over 50 members in a month. Now that so many companies are for it, 1% FTP runs a print campaign to get everyone on board. //Fast Company// calls 1% of sales the "gold standard" of corporate love for the earth. On average three to five groups, companies, and clubs join 1% FTP daily, which adds up to about $30 million USD given the 1%. Even with the hard financial times 1% still is members on a dailey basis. The organization moves locations and heads east to Vermont in the hunt to become the worlds largest Green contributer. ==== ==== In 2009 1% FTP celebrates by adding their 1000 member to the organization, this breaking point brought in news companys from around the world to highlight this time in history. Non that this company has expanded at such a rate they have switched online completely to avoid using paper and harmful inks. Membership growth flurishes with adding two to three new members a day and includes some of our largest members to date. Over $15 MILLION spill into the organization from the members a year for sustainability. With that being said that brings in a total well over $50 MILLION dollars to 1% FTP. ==== ==== The last challenge that is recorded in 2010 is that the organization wants to have over 1,200 members from at least 40 different countries, I don't think that was an issue. ====