With Many Roots turns 3

Owning my own business provides the opportunity to act on my ethical principles.

Giving What I Can Update

Last year I wrote a post about how I decided to donate 2.5% of my income to organisations. after learning more about the Effective Altruism movement. I’ve recently changed things around a little bit, I now donate a percentage of my business profit to the same organisations. After discovering an old friend of mine had made the 10% pledge, it nudged me to explore ways to increase my giving.

Current allocation of donations
Keeping with the balance of donating with head and heart – 50% of my donations went to organisations measured by third parties on their effectiveness, the other 50% on causes that are close to my heart.

Using my head

• Schistosomiasis Control Initiative – provides technical assistance and funds for programs that treat people for parasitic worms
• Against Malaria Foundation – fights malaria by distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets
• Give Directly – allows recipients to decide exactly what they want to do with the money, rigorous third-party research shows how that money is used – I want to support autonomy

Using my heart

• Rethink – campaigning for serious mental health illnesses, I’ve benefitted directly from their services as well
• Alzheimer’s Research UK
• Democracy Now – supporting independent journalism in the US
• The Media Fund – supporting independent journalism in the UK

It was a bit of a faff, I tried to do it all in one go, blocked my card and went round in circles. But I’m really proud of this contribution I’ve made, I am waiting on final figures but I have donated between 9-11% of my annual profit. That feels good.

Offsetting my air miles

I took a number of flights in the last 12 months roughly equating to 6.41 carbon tonnes (the average carbon footprint per person for the UK is 8.5, based on 2012 data). I offset this by donating to Cool Earth – who support forest communities to provide alternative incomes to deforestation. I am looking to reduce my air miles in the near future.

Paying for my media

As a matter of principle, this is of growing importance to me and I have incorporated it into my business ethic.

• After cancelling my Guardian Weekly Subscription a year ago I have renewed as a Guardian member
• Positive News Subscription
• Ethical Consumer Subscription
• Donating to independent media organisations as part of my 10% pledge (see above).

Other achievements

• Still a digital nomad (!) – the last 12 months I have been to Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia and Vietnam.
• Language Skills – I reached a conversational Spanish level and a beginner Bahasa Indonesia level
• Publications – my articles have featured on Amtrak, Jucy website and Women Digital Nomads, Mind and Rethink and I’m on cover of the first edition of the Else magazine
• Logo is finished – it only took 2 years! And I’ve got business cards too – that I love! Thanks Louise for your creative wonders.
• Instagramming – finally starting to share nearly 2 years worth of photos and so far it’s getting some good traction. Early days though: www.instagram.com/withmanyroots
• I made a profit at year end, albeit a modest one.

Looking ahead

• I am stalling on completing my Social Marketing online course and am determined to finish it in the next few months
• I am starting a Social Anthropology course next month to expand my theory alongside my professional work
• I am starting to look for new work as my current contracts cover about 3.5 days/week – it’s a scary prospect putting myself out there but it has been an interesting exercise to consider my non-negotiables, it’s certainly a case of needing to be proactive to find my next clients!

A quick thank you to those who have offered their support or provided an ear during my wobbly moments.

Watch this space!