Place-based purchasing initiatives are an opportunity for everyone to get involved! We can use our collective purchasing power to support enterprises working on social and environmental solutions, build resilient local economies, and create the communities we want to live in. Get in touch to join a purchasing initiative in your area or start a new one.
Local purchasing initiatives are started by partners and People and Planet First verified enterprises in a particular place. They decide on the geographical area to include based on their networks and their knowledge of their own local area. Purchasing initiatives can be organized around a town, city, region, state, or place-based event.
There are three types of participants in local purchasing initiatives.
Verified Enterprises
Verified Enterprises solve social and environmental problems, have products and services to offer in the local area, and are People and Planet First verified.
Partners
Partners collaborate to help onboard local enterprises that put people and planet first, engage buyers and other supporters, and organize local events and activities.
Supporters
Supporters purchase from and support People and Planet First verified enterprises and provide ecosystem funding to develop the local purchasing initiative
Purchasing with Purpose network partners are member organizations, certifiers, and other service providers that work with multiple enterprises, including some that meet the five standards. They sign a collaboration agreement, appear in the Partner Directory, and are able to use the People and Planet First Partner badge.
For local purchasing initiatives, verified enterprises can also serve as partners and help with outreach, engagement, and local activities. If you want to serve as a partner to start a local purchasing initiative in your area, get in touch.
There are social enterprises, cooperatives, fair trade enterprises, nonprofit businesses, steward-owned companies, post-growth enterprises, regenerative businesses, benefit corporations, green businesses, and local independent businesses that put people and planet first.
It can be difficult to find these enterprises in the US because the movement has emerged bottom-up. Different terminology is used in different networks, regions, and sectors. People and Planet First is a global verification that was developed to bridge these divides and complement existing certifications. It focuses on 5 core standards and uses the Good Market digital commons to keep costs low.
Verified enterprises are included in a global Verified Enterprise Directory and a special Purchasing with Purpose Directory and Marketplace for the US. The verification process has three steps.
Are you part of an enterprise that puts people and planet first and has products or services to offer in the US?
Supporters purchase from People and Planet First verified enterprises, offer free or discounted products or services, provide preferential financing, or contribute resources towards local purchasing initiatives.
The majority of supporters for local purchasing initiatives are ecosystem funders. This includes individuals, verified enterprises, partners, local businesses, nonprofits, family offices, foundations, corporations, government bodies, universities, and other institutions that contribute resources towards the Purpose. All contributions are welcome. Supporters who contribute more than $1,000 are included in the global Supporter Directory and recognized by their local purchasing initiative for 1 year.
If you want to support a specific local purchasing initiative, visit their page. If you want to support a purchasing initiative in a new area, get in touch. If you want to contribute to the overall work and help start local purchasing initiatives in multiple areas, you can contribute below. Payments can be made by credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, crypto, stocks, or DAF. If you have questions or need payment support, contact [email protected].
Basic
$1,000
Included in Supporter Directory for 1 year
Use of Supporter badge for 1 year
Recognized on local website for 1 year
Sustainer
$5,000
Included in Supporter Directory for 1 year
Use of Supporter badge for 1 year
Recognized on local website for 1 year
1 ticket for events
1 Purchasing Pioneers annual membership
Champion
$10,000
Included in Supporter Directory for 1 year
Use of Supporter badge for 1 year
Recognized on local website for 1 year
2 tickets for events
2 Purchasing Pioneers annual memberships
25% discount on masterclass
Catalyst
$20,000
Included in Supporter Directory for 1 year
Use of Supporter badge for 1 year
Recognized on local website for 1 year
3 tickets for events
3 Purchasing Pioneers annual memberships
50% discount on masterclass
Patron
$50,000 or more
Included in Supporter Directory for 1 year
Use of Supporter badge for 1 year
Recognized on local website for 1 year
5 tickets for events
5 Purchasing Pioneers annual memberships
75% discount on masterclass
Participants engage in active outreach and organize events and activities based on their local context and needs.
Outreach
All participants can reach out to local enterprises that put people and planet first and encourage them to get involved. Partners and verified enterprises have custom invite links. If an enterprise they invite signs up and creates a free profile, they earn points on the digital commons. If an enterprise they invite goes on to become verified, they receive 10% of the enterprise verification fee.
All participants can reach out to potential supporters and encourage them to get involved. If partners and verified enterprises onboard a supporter with a purchasing commitment, free or discounted services, or preferential financing, they receive 10% of the supporter verification fee.
If partners and verified enterprises onboard a supporter that provides more than $1,000 in ecosystem funding, they have the option of receiving 10% of the total in recognition of their contribution to the collective.
Other Local Activities
Supporter contributions for the local purchasing initiative are maintained in a separate account with transparent financial reporting. Twenty percent of the contributed funds are used to cover shared infrastructure, admin, and financial services.
When the local fund is above $10,000, partners and verified enterprises can submit simple proposals and budgets to conduct local engagement events in order to attract enterprises and/or supporters and help the collective grow. Event budgets should include an allocation for team time to support self-sustaining revenue models for partners and verified enterprises. At this resource level, the recommended maximum budget is $5,000. The majority will be released before the event. The balance will be released after photos and a simple report are publicly shared.
When the local fund is above $15,000, the fund can cover verification costs for enterprises that are unable to pay the $85 fee. This makes it easier to engage enterprises with low surplus business models.
When the local fund is above $25,000, partners and verified enterprises can submit simple proposals and budgets for other activities to strengthen the local purchasing initiative. Examples might include pop-up markets, in-person matchmaking, and other local events, storytelling initiatives, awareness campaigns, free workshops and training programs, supplier capacity building cohorts, etc. At this resource level, the recommended maximum budget is $10,000. The majority will be released before the activity. The balance will be released after photos and a simple report are publicly shared.
When the local fund is above $150,000 and the collective has experience with events and activities, partners and verified enterprises are able to start building out larger, revenue-generating initiatives for the local collective. Examples might include purchasing services for local buyers, public procurement initiatives, festivals, and larger events.
All participating partners and verified enterprises will be included in an online group designed to support streamlined decision-making. When a single proposal is received, decisions will be made through simple polls. When multiple proposals are received, decisions will be made through ranked-choice voting. When participants have an idea for a process improvement, they can share it through the online group.
All participants will have access to local progress indicators, financial reports, and shared resources developed through the local purchasing initiative.
