- We pledge to contribute 2% of our online US sales, combined more than 1% of our total sales, to empower communities.
When we decided to create the Scotch Porter Impact Fund, we asked ourselves a few questions; how can we live up to our mission to provide men with the tools needed to live their best, most fulfilled lives? How can we make the greatest impact on the communities we serve? And last but definitely not least — how can our Scotch Porter fam get involved?
As always when taking on a project of this magnitude, we started with the data and the numbers were sobering — so we knew it was time to act. Here’s just a fraction of what we discovered:
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- Black and Hispanic graduates generally have attended institutions that have less money to spend on offering a quality education.
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- As of 2019, workers of color were still 50% less likely to hold good jobs.
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- Just 2.4% of U.S. businesses have Black owners, even though Black people represent 12.8% of the U.S. population.
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- Black and brown men in the U.S. are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of their white counterparts.
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After months of research, vetting partners, and spirited team discussions where we opened up and shared our diverse personal experiences — our team identified four pillars of social impact; Education, Job Training, Entrepreneurship, and Recidivism.
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Education and Job Training
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Entrepreneurship
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Recidivism
Job training and education are the building blocks to having a fulfilling life; they are the keys to social stability, and upward mobility – ideas that seem unattainable in a world where systemic barriers greatly impede access to opportunity and economic growth for communities of color. Our Founder was fortunate to be able to attend college, where he had life-changing experiences and has had many amazing mentors along the way — we want these opportunities to be more accessible to men in underserved communities, and due to the assistance they’ll receive through our Scotch Porter Impact Fund partnerships, they will be.
Improving lower levels of business wealth among people of color — particularly among Latinos and African Americans — holds a special place in our Founder's heart. He's a kid from an immigrant family. His grandmother came to the States from a small country in South America called Guyana. She opened a small store selling baked goods, leveraged her income to buy the building, and eventually rented out other apartments to build enough wealth to bring her children to Brooklyn. He witnessed family members determine their own destinies (which is a core tenant of Scotch Porter) and build wealth through entrepreneurship – which is why it is a pillar of the Scotch Porter Impact Fund.
Outside of his dedication to scaling the business, Calvin also made significant strides in driving the advancement of minority businesses and communities. In 2021, Calvin joined the Target Accelerator Program as its Founder in Residence where he mentors over 20 minority brand founders annually.
Nearly 1 in 3 black boys can expect to go to prison, and of those in this cohort, nearly 70% return to prison within one year. We've witnessed families broken due to the lack of opportunity for young black and brown men who, unfortunately fell prey to the prison system before they had a chance to develop. Real rehabilitation is the only way to end this vicious cycle. That’s why we’re serious about reducing recidivism and believe that it’s one of the most impactful ways to drive change in the communities we serve.
Now that you understand the “why”, with your help we’re going to donate to organizations that support financial growth and independence; companies that are committed to empowering our communities now and in the future. When you purchase Scotch Porter products, you’ll be supporting:
Education and Job Training
Job training and education are the building blocks to having a fulfilling life; they are the keys to social stability, and upward mobility – ideas that seem unattainable in a world where systemic barriers greatly impede access to opportunity and economic growth for communities of color. Our Founder was fortunate to be able to attend college, where he had life-changing experiences and has had many amazing mentors along the way — we want these opportunities to be more accessible to men in underserved communities, and due to the assistance they’ll receive through our Scotch Porter Impact Fund partnerships, they will be.
Entrepreneurship
Improving lower levels of business wealth among people of color — particularly among Latinos and African Americans — holds a special place in our Founder's heart. He's a kid from an immigrant family. His grandmother came to the States from a small country in South America called Guyana. She opened a small store selling baked goods, leveraged her income to buy the building, and eventually rented out other apartments to build enough wealth to bring her children to Brooklyn. He witnessed family members determine their own destinies (which is a core tenant of Scotch Porter) and build wealth through entrepreneurship – which is why it is a pillar of the Scotch Porter Impact Fund.
Outside of his dedication to scaling the business, Calvin also made significant strides in driving the advancement of minority businesses and communities. In 2021, Calvin joined the Target Accelerator Program as its Founder in Residence where he mentors over 20 minority brand founders annually.
Recidivism
Nearly 1 in 3 black boys can expect to go to prison, and of those in this cohort, nearly 70% return to prison within one year. We've witnessed families broken due to the lack of opportunity for young black and brown men who, unfortunately fell prey to the prison system before they had a chance to develop. Real rehabilitation is the only way to end this vicious cycle. That’s why we’re serious about reducing recidivism and believe that it’s one of the most impactful ways to drive change in the communities we serve.
Now that you understand the “why”, with your help we’re going to donate to organizations that support financial growth and independence; companies that are committed to empowering our communities now and in the future. When you purchase Scotch Porter products, you’ll be supporting:
A non-profit preparing the next generation of technology leaders with high school summer bootcamp programs and an out-of-school time program for high school juniors and seniors focused on immersive intersectional professional development sessions with industry experts. Upon graduation, students will be eligible for paid internships and job opportunities through the AOT employer partner network and a $1,000 stipend.
Every $1 donated provides 1 week of free technology training for 1 student
Program for high school juniors and seniors
Focused on immersive intersectional professional development
A non-profit focused on connecting those impacted by foster care, homelessness, and incarceration with job opportunities and provides ongoing life and professional skills for long-term success. At the start of working with ManifestWorks, an average of 71% of applicants receive welfare - that number drops to 7% one year after completion of the program. Program applicants average $12.5k annual salary, post-program completion the average salary jumps to $62k annually.
Post-program completion participants salary averages $62k annually
Program provides ongoing life and professional skills
Focuses on connecting those impacted by foster care, homelessness, and incarceration
A New Jersey-based packaging company that chooses to hire formerly incarcerated individuals to fight against recidivism. Access to employment drastically reduces the chances of landing back behind bars and only 12% of companies openly hire people with a conviction on their record. Formerly incarcerated people who are unable to find employment after eight months have a 33% chance of committing another jail-time offense. MAKE USA’s impact on employee recidivism averages a 99% success rate.
Hires formerly incarcerated individuals to fight against recidivism
Impact on employee recidivism averages a 99% success rate
Access to employment drastically reduces the chances of landing back behind bars
Our Donations to Date
“Scotch Porter’s mission extends far beyond the customers we serve. Its essence is what powers our commitment to enable the potential of overlooked communities and arm them with the tools and resources to live their best, most fulfilled lives. Through the Scotch Porter Impact Fund, we can collectively play a part in advancing the economic empowerment and success of underserved, previously excluded groups.”
- Calvin Quallis, Founder & CEO
FAQs
1. How is the Scotch Porter Impact Fund structured?
The Scotch Porter Impact Fund is an advised fund of the Social Impact Fund, a 501c3 charitable organization.
2. Who decides where the funds will be allocated?
On ScotchPorter.com, 2% of all purchases are donated to the non-profit organizations featured. Online donations are captured and processed by the Daily Karma Foundation on behalf of Scotch Porter. Grantmaking is directed by the Scotch Porter Social Impact Fund's Advisory Board and will be in alignment with our mission to impact communities through our core pillars including Entrepreneurship, Job Training, Recidivism and Education.
3. What percentage of the Scotch Porter Social Impact Fund donations will go to grantees?
100% of donations will be directed to our grantees and strategic initiatives.
4. Who can I contact for more information on the Scotch Porter Social Impact Fund?
You can contact us via email at support@scotchporter.com.
