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With its colourful toilet rolls and tongue-in-cheek messaging, Melbourne-headquartered company Who Gives a Crap has become synonymous with profit-for-purpose business models that utilise surplus cashflow to fund worthy causes, but today it has revealed the extent of donations generated since founding in 2012.
As a social enterprise committed to change, Who Gives A Crap has now raised more than $18 million towards its mission of giving everyone in the world access to clean water and a toilet, supporting water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives.
The total sum is boosted by a recent $4.65 million donation from the company, which has created a way for customers to contribute to a global cause, setting a precedent for businesses everywhere through its work with a group of nonprofits including WaterAid Australia, Fresh Life, and Water For People.
The latest donation is second only to its $5.85 million donation in 2020, as a result of #ToiletPaperGate when COVID-related shortages sparked hoarding of the precious material all over the world.
Having raised $41.5 million in a 2021 Series A backed by the likes of Grok Ventures, Airtree Ventures, Giant Leap and more, the group has also expanded its product range into garbage, pet bags, soap and limited edition collections, while also broadening its marketplace with international expansion including growing footprints in the UK and US.
With billions of people without access to clean water and a toilet, Who Gives A Crap has been delivering global impact since CEO and co-founder Simon Griffiths raised the company's first $50,000 via a world-first crowdfunding approach – sitting on a toilet for 50 hours while live streaming it.
Griffiths says putting purpose at the heart of the business was a no-brainer for him and his co-founders Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga.
“Everyone deserves access to clean water and a toilet. Everyone. I’d like to shout out to all of our customers who have welcomed us into their bathrooms over the years, and who have helped us deliver real impact through the incredible work our impact partners do," he explains.
“Their contribution isn't a drop in the ocean – it got us to a whooping $18m today, simply by getting consumers to buy eco-friendly essential products like toilet paper.
“This donation is a testament to our business model, and something we hope inspires other businesses to consider. Imagine a world where even more brands donated a significant chunk of their profits to help solve huge social issues.”
Who Gives A Crap’s Head of Impact Robin Cho echoes Griffith’s sentiment, reiterating the importance of providing people with proper sanitation:
“Inadequate sanitation and clean water can affect a myriad of things, including people’s health and safety, education, and the environment.
“By increasing people’s access to toilets and providing them with clean water, we are doing much more than just saving lives but helping girls go to school, fight systemic injustice and protect the planet.
“There is a lot more work to be done, but through this donation, we’re even closer to our goal of giving everyone access to clean water and toilets. We couldn’t have done this without our Who Gives A Crap community.”
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