The Naked Hippie calls itself a “purposed brand,” meaning that the brand serves a higher purpose than just selling goods. Sure, it sells high quality t-shirts and apparel that sport meaningful phrases, and these make consumers happy. But the higher purpose is the fact that 100% of the profits from sales go towards providing microloans to entrepreneurs around the world.
TNH believes in restoring economic health, rather than using a Band-Aid to fix a symptom of a larger problem. They differentiate themselves from organizations like TOMS and Warby Parker, because rather than donating a product or hiring a worker, they are helping fund the entire business of an entrepreneur. They are following in the footsteps of Ashoka and Kiva in that their goal is to provide small, manageable loans to someone who is trying to start a small business, and then by getting the business off the ground and paying the loan back, the entrepreneur now can make a living.
In addition to providing microloans, TNH also helps the environment. They use only recycled materials for their apparel, and each shirt sold offsets water pollution. They believe in sustainable farming and crop rotation, so all of their organic cotton comes from farms that share their philosophy.
By “teaching a man to fish” rather than “giving a man a fish,” TNH hopes that they can help truly get to the root of poverty and make a massive difference, one entrepreneur at a time. They recognize that charity can only go so far, and that what people are really looking for is to make a living for themselves and create their own destiny. Microloans make this possible, and TNH wants to help.
Creating social impact blog 