Hello Green Tomorrow: Avon and The Nature Conservancy
When Avon made the decision to rally their 6.2 million sales representatives and 42,000 associates around the cause of deforestation, their global network of women responded to the call.
Hello Green Tomorrow’s (HGT) objective was to empower a global women’s environmental movement to nurture nature. AVON made a $1 million initial donation to partner The Nature Conservancy and challenged associates to match that donation through their individual fundraising efforts.
Through intense multi-channel, worldwide promotion, a microsite, social media outreach, fundraising incentives and awards, the initial Avon donation of $1 million was more than matched with $1.1 million raised within 6 months for a total of $2.1 million. The funds supported the planting of 2 million trees to restore 5,000 acres.
Garnering international media attention and energizing Avon associates and sales representatives, HGT expedited the adoption and rollout of the Avon Paper Promise to address Avon’s support of responsible forestry and paper reduction.
Judges gave a green thumbs-up to AVON’s impressive results for both company and cause, commenting on AVON’s efficient use of a donation match challenge to create a groundswell of associates world-wide and were pleased to see AVON had already committed to cultivate their green success into 2011.