Alice Vol. 1 No. 2

Strayer explains that the way these
goods are priced, the actual market
price of a product is combined with
the amount of a charitable donation,
so the consumer is technically overpaying
for the good. But the charitable
element adds value to the product
and an emotional benefit for the consumer.
In the long run, he says, causebased
fashion may save money because
the marketing costs for the business
and the charity are consolidated,
which puts more money toward the
charitable donations.
“The market is efficient, so you probably
have a higher volume of people
who are willing to go out and buy [the
product] and at the same time make
the donation, than people who would
just naturally go out and donate to a
charity,” Strayer says. “Overall, you’re
seeing more dollars go to that than
you would in just a traditional, purely
charity sense.”
While the practice is most commonly
associated with clothing or shoes,
Strayer says the trend of businesses
partnering with causes is likely to increase
in the future.
“Right now, with today’s consumer, I
think it’s a strong marketing strategy
and a strong way to differentiate yourself
from a company that just delivers
a strong product,” he says. “I think
where you see a majority of the success
is when you start off with a cause and
then build into making a product that
people desire.”
One of the businesses with a cause
at the root of their products is Rahab’s
Rope in Gainesville, Georgia. Founded
by Vicki Moore in 2004, Rahab’s
Rope is a non-profit store and ministry
that provides aftercare and education
for women who are victims of human
trafficking in India.
The women are taught to sew and
make jewelry, and the products they
make, including accessories, bags,
scarves, and journals, are sold in the
Gainesville store. The program’s goal
is to help rehabilitate the women and
prepare them to support themselves in
society.
“We’re not trying to employ women
the rest of their lives. We want to be
the transitional period for them,” says
Moore, owner of Rahab’s Rope. “But
in that transitional period of rehabilitation,
they need to be able to sustain
themselves and have some income to be
able to start rebuilding.”
Moore travels back and forth between
India and Georgia, working in four Indian
cities across the country and running
the store. She said the business
has been successful because it is not
simply a charity; it gives the women
a chance to make lasting changes in
their lives.
“We’re setting a model for the women
to not just expect someone to come in
and hand them everything,” she says.
“They’re also learning how to work
and provide things for themselves.”
Alice April 2016 [51]