I think I have always been rather suspicious of consumer-driven donation drives. Buy more and feel good about it? Um, okaaaaay. “Percentage of the proceeds” means, sure, that some money is given to the target group, but how much is it and is telling folks to buy a specific product better than encouraging people to give directly?
For items you’re going to buy everyday, it makes sense. If your local supermarket is providing a percentage of your grocery tab as credits to the local school district, all the better. But if you have to go out of your way to buy a special item, perhaps not.
Case in point, these “we’re not homeless, but we’ll pretend to be” designer bedsheets that popped up on Design Milk and reported on by Fast Company.
They are printed to look like worn cardboard boxes and street stones. Perhaps I would have been more receptive to it if didn’t come with “The Home Duvet lets you sleep under a cardboard box so a homeless person doesn’t have to!” tagline.
Save your duvet duckets and give directly to Centrepoint, the recipient UK charity for homeless youth.
