Purposeful Purchasing: Let Your Money Do the Talking

Posted by Shawna Gnutel

We've all heard the expression

money talks.
 
I saw an ad for a seminar entitled "Purposeful Purchasing" which read, "Let your money speak for you and watch businesses buy into your mission."

Guest Speaker Maggie Vilvang from (2010 Legacies NOW) is part of a consortium of disability missioned organizations in Vancouver known as accessWORKS. Maggie began her talk by explaining what Purposeful Purchasing was NOT.

1. It was not bulk buying.
2. It was not asking you to change where you buy stuff.
3. It was not about asking you to act more like a business.


Instead, Purposeful Purchasing is about moving away from a conventional charity model and moving toward 


acting more like a nonprofit
with spending power.


The Purposeful Purchasing Initiative is about disability missioned organizations in British Columbia "recognizing that every dollar spent, if spent with purpose, will advance the economic inclusion of people with disabilities." (Please read the background paper. )

According to StatsCan, social service agencies in Canada spend over 3.6 billion dollars annually. These organizations buy houses, cars, office supplies, groceries, janitor services, computers. YOU NAME IT!

So then doesn’t it make sense to position yourself as a consumer with a mission? To get started, organizations need to conduct a spend/supplier analysis- how much is being spent and where. Once that's completed you can send the supplier a letter and ask them to do a questionnaire/self assessment to rate themselves and their commitment to becoming a disability confident business.  

According to Maggie, building disability confidence in the supply chain is one of the main goals. And THINK ABOUT IT... there's no better time than during an economic downturn. Why wouldn't businesses be motivated to keep their customers satisfied and happy?

REALLY REALLY HAPPY :)

At its heart, Purposeful Purchasing uses spending as a strategy to advance mission and social change. The main inspiration for Purposeful Purchasing is based on the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC)
Buy Smart Program. The ultimate priority in VANOCs "sustainability purchasing" procurement policy, is to buy smarter, greener and with more social consciousness. So far, benefits to local communities has been substantial. Between 2003 and summer 2008, VANOC spent $1.8 million with inner-city businesses and organizations.

So whether you are an organization or a supplier, Purposeful Purchasing makes good business sense. 

And on that happy economic note, it's time to take action and usher in 2010 as an engaging year of empowerment, opportunity and positive change for you and your community.

For more information about Purposeful Purchasing, feel free to contact Maggie Vilvang: mvilvang@2010LegaciesNow.com.