TOMS Reveals Its Giving Evolution: Inspiring, Creating and Innovating Social Change

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AMSTERDAM, Feb. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TOMS, the footwear and lifestyle brand that founded the One for One business model, today announces the progressive evolution of its giving model.  As a business with purpose, TOMS has always had giving at its core; however, this evolution - instigated by its employees - will aim to create broader impact through addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, through initiating project-based investments with local non-profits and changemakers across the globe. The brand will continue its original One for One giving programs – including shoes, sight restorations, and safe water.

Amy Smith, Chief Giving Officer at TOMS, comments: "Our commitment to health, education, and economic opportunity has never changed, but the world we live in has. That is why we are continuing to evolve and put our company and profits towards solving the problems that impact our world today."

Last night, TOMS announced and celebrated its giving evolution in the European market. The exclusive Stand for Tomorrow event took place in Amsterdam, drawing in guests from across Europe. TOMS shared its inspiring news with presentations from key TOMS figures including Global Chief Giving Officer, Amy Smith, and CEO Jim Alling, and local changemaker and non-profit partners.

Starting this Spring, TOMS will focus its European project investments on local issue areas including homelessness, female empowerment and social impact entrepreneurship, working alongside non-profit partners including Centrepoint and Ashoka, and European changemakers Joshua Coombes, Ella Grace Denton, and Sara Nuru.

The first of a series of changemaker projects will begin in March with Joshua Coombes, in collaboration with Light & Noise and local homelessness organizations, will lead a multi-city art show tour shining a light on the growing issue of homelessness across European cities. In April Ella Grace Denton will host a number of Women's Circles in London and Manchester aimed at creating safe spaces for women to connect with themselves and each other. Together with Sara Nuru and Ashoka Germany, TOMS will fund a social entrepreneurship summit and accelerator to support and grow the next generation of social entrepreneurs, taking place outside of Berlin in May 2019.  

By forging meaningful local partnerships to tackle local issues but on a global scale, TOMS' aim is to push the boundaries of what it means to create positive impact through business.

"We are excited to launch our first project-investments in Europe, working closely with inspiring local voices and partners to make real impact on issues that matter here in our region" says Lisa Hogg, EMEA Marketing Director, "This is only the first step. We are already planning for future projects in Europe."  

The official announcement of the brand's evolved giving model and European projects follow the launch of its first US initiative last November, End Gun Violence Together. As part of this project, TOMS donated $5 million to groups working towards ending gun violence in America, as well as activated its community to send over 700,000 physical postcards to Members of US Congress around gun legislation.

Just last month, TOMS also announced the news that it is now a Certified B Corporation®. This highly regarded acknowledgement ensures that TOMS will continue its commitment to high verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Alongside these developments, TOMS continues its commitment to its One for One giving programs. Founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie with the vision to create a company that builds a better tomorrow, TOMS has since given 86 million pairs of shoes, 600,000 sight restorations and provided 600,000 weeks of safe water to communities around the world.

About TOMS

TOMS was born of a belief in a better tomorrow. Since 2006, the TOMS community has been providing shoes, sight, and safe water to millions of people around the world, one by one and One for One.®

Now, in addition to our One for One programs, we're partnering with changemakers and organizations who are striving for progress—by creating, by inspiring, by doing. Because it's bigger than shoes. It's what we do in them.

With every TOMS purchase, you stand with us on issues that matter.

Jennifer Gabriele, [email protected] or [email protected] T: +44(0)203-216-0022

SOURCE TOMS EMEA B.V.