Transcription
Impact Report 2014-2015
A LETTER FROM OUR CIOCotopaxi strongly believes in the power of business to drivesocial change. We are also compelled by the incredible powerof adventure to connect the world. With travel and adventurecome exposure to new experiences, new perspectives on life,and often unique friendships. We’ve each forged incredibleconnections during transformative moments of explorationand, so often, those connections remain alive within us longafter we return back to the comforts of home.Some of the most incredible moments in history have takenplace when humanity united to solve a problem. Throughthe fusion of adventure and business, we hope to ignite thepassions of our community, turn inspiration into action, andbuild a movement for lasting, collective good.2015 has been a year of incredible momentum and growthfor Cotopaxi. I joined the team in May to lead the company’sglobal giving strategy and am excited to share our progressthrough this inaugural impact report.“Some of themost incrediblemoments inhistory havetaken placewhen humanityunited to solvea problem.“In October of 2013, Cotopaxi’s founders set off on an ambitiousmission. Their goal was to build an innovative outdoorgear company that could make meaningful strides towardreducing global poverty. Drawing from best practices fromthe outdoor industry and the global development sector,they built a company with the dual purpose of inspiringadventure and alleviating poverty. The social mission wasformalized in the company’s founding documents and shortlythereafter, Cotopaxi became the first company in the nation toincorporate as a benefit corporation from inception and thenreceive venture capital. The benefit corporation model enablesa company to write their social and environmental purpose intotheir charter and articles of incorporation, ensuring that thosevalues remain elevated as the company grows and evolves.There’s still a lot to do, and we’ve just scratched the surfaceof what we think we can accomplish together. Stay tuned, andadventure on.Sincerely,Lindsey KneuvenChief Impact Officer1COTOPAXI.COM 844.268.6729 FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS 99 FREE RETURNS2
OUR MISSIONWe create innovative outdoor products andexperiences that fund sustainable poverty relief,move people to do good, and inspire adventure.841956273OUR COMMITMENTOver the past two years, we have made solid progress against our goals and are excited to share some highlights with you.1CHOICE HUMANITARIAN LOCATION: GuatemalaFOCUS AREA:As outlined in our articles of incorporation, Cotopaxi’s stated public benefit is “using its business to inspire social andenvironmental change that results in the improvement of the human condition, increased social consciousness and theamelioration of poverty.” In pursuit of these goals, Cotopaxi has funded numerous grants to nonprofits around the world thatfocus on three key areas: health, education, and livelihoods. Each grant is designed to build a sustainable pathway out ofpoverty in partnership with the local community.PROGRAM:2FOCUS AREA:Our 2014 and 2015 grants have focused on: Improving access to quality education in Nepal, Ecuador, Tanzania, the Philippines, and Ghana;Reducing under-five mortality rates through midwifery training in Guatemala; andDeveloping sustainable livelihoods in partnership with each of our grantees.2015 also marked the launch of Cotopaxi’s first significant skills-based volunteer initiative - a computer science trainingprogram for refugee youth in Salt Lake City.3Health LOCATION: Ecuador3EducationSupplemental Learning M ARIA IMACULADAORPHANAGE LOCATION: BoliviaFOCUS AREA:PROGRAM:EducationSupplemental LearningRADIATING HOPE LOCATION: SenegalFOCUS AREA:Midwife TrainingQOSQO MAKIPROGRAM:4PROGRAM:5Health LOCATION: GhanaFOCUS AREA:PROGRAM:8LOCATION: Tanzania FOCUS AREA:EducationSupplemental LearningHealthWater & SanitationHEALTH & ED 4 NEPAL LOCATION: NepalFOCUS AREA:School AccessKILIMANJAROKIDS COMMUNITYPROGRAM:FOCUS AREA:Education6 THEWHOLIVES LOCATION: PhilippinesCancer TreatmentsBRIGHTEN YOUR CORNERPROGRAM:7PROGRAM:9EducationSupplemental Learning P HILIPPINECOMMUNITY FUND LOCATION: PhilippinesFOCUS AREA:PROGRAM:EducationSchool Access4
BRIGHTEN YOUR CORNERTHIS YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTSA Look at What We Have Done in 2015Cotopaxi is rebuilding a school in rural Ghana together with the localcommunity. The majority of community members in Ghana are farmerswho earn a highly seasonal income. The average estimated income for afamily of 6 is around 40/month. Access to quality education representsa pathway out of poverty for the youth in this region, but the localprimary school had eroded to a point that did not provide sufficientshelter and prevented youth from attending school. In response, Cotopaxihas joined forces with local parents, community leaders, and the Ministryof Education to co-fund the rebuilding of the school.RADIATING HOPECancer has emerged as the leading cause of death in Africa, killing morepeople than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Cotopaxipartnered with Radiating Hope to respond to the needs of cancerpatients in West Africa. Together, we focused on Senegal, which is hometo over 13 million people and has just one radiation clinic. Around 1520% of the patients seen in the Senegalese radiation clinic come from aneighboring country that lacks the equipment needed to treat cancer.Patients need 30 treatments on average. Cotopaxi’s funds will be used toprovide 175 radiation treatments for individuals in need.5HEALTH & ED 4 NEPALCotopaxi’s grant to Health & Ed 4 Nepal has strengthened access toquality education in Kumari, Nepal. Over the course of the grant term,programs have been implemented that increase the local school’scapacity from 250 youth to 500. Funding has also enabled libraryprogramming that enriches student learning and provides opportunitiesfor independent study.CHOICE HUMANITARIANWHOLIVESCotopaxi’s CHOICE Humanitarian project in Guatemala funds midwiferytraining for women living in 29 rural communities. Women in the Queqchicommunities of Guatemala have a tradition of giving birth in their homeswith the help of other women in the community. A home birth presentsmany challenges in these rural villages such as unsanitary birthingconditions, lack of basic support in the event of birth complications, asa result of the midwife training program, mothers and children in the 29villages are three times more likely to survive childbirth. Since it beganin 2011, this program has achieved a 66% reduction in infant mortalityrates and a 69% reduction in maternal mortality rates across theQueqchi communities.In partnership with WHOLives.org, Cotopaxi supported the design andlaunch of a water project for a rural region in the Philippines. The drill isportable and designed for use by the the community. The project willcreate significant job opportunities and be used to drill wells that provideaccess to clean water for several thousand households. In addition, wellswill be drilled at local schools to ensure students have access to cleandrinking water and proper water and sanitation resources. The communitywill also be able to utilize the drill for private projects that generaterevenue and fuel local development. The model stimulates local jobgrowth, program sustainability, and improved water and sanitation access.6
COTOPAXI QUESTIVALQuestival is Cotopaxi’s 24-hour adventure scavenger hunt.Over the course of the event, teams complete social impactchallenges and create impressive collective impact.HIGHLIGHTSCONTACT USInterested in learning more about our socialimpact work? We would love to hear from you.72,250 pounds of food donatedto Project Open Hand in SanFrancisco, CA over the courseof 4 hours.1,918 pounds of fooddonated to Marion Polk FoodShare in Oregon.28,685 pieces of trash picked upat parks and along trails.Over 1,000 hours volunteeredin Salt Lake City in 24 hours.317 meals provided tohomeless individuals.1,323 random acts ofkindness completed across6 cotopaxi8
Cotopaxi is rebuilding a school in rural Ghana together with the local community. The majority of community members in Ghana are farmers who earn a highly seasonal income. The average estimated income for a family of 6 is around 40/month. Access to quality education represents a pathway o
