START Give Back in Peru; photo courtesy of Isagenix
As we embark on the new year, so comes the time-honored tradition of setting resolutions, many of which will be keenly focused on health and fitness. According to Inc. Magazine, losing weight and eating healthier is ranked at the very top of those resolutions set by Americans annually. So, it should come as no surprise that the new year brings about a natural inclination to focus more on wellness. Here in Arizona, we have many health-oriented companies, but there are few that are more dedicated to helping people live well than that of Valley-based Isagenix.
The company was launched in 2002 and was the product of a collaboration between John W. Anderson and Jim and Kathy Coover. Together, these entrepreneurs launched a company dedicated to creating health and wellness products that would change lives. And through their direct sales format, they were able to scale the organization with lightning speed.
They quickly grew their wellness empire into an international company, which today boasts half a million customers worldwide. With this tremendous growth, the founders recognized that they had a responsibility to give back. Isagenix has long looked to be a leader for positive societal change.
From its early campaigns supporting causes like Make-A-Wish, where, together with its customers and employees, it has now raised more than $10 million in 12 countries, to the launch of its ISA Foundation in 2018, the company has ingrained giving into all corners of its business. Its mission is simple: to partner with multiple nonprofits that can help the company ensure that children have proper nutrition, people are educated and empowered to live a healthy life, and families can recover from natural disasters. Jim and Kathy Coover felt so strongly about the foundation that, when it launched, they matched every dollar raised for the foundation during its first 24 hours of fundraising, up to $1 million.
“The Isagenix family is dedicated to serving others and making a lasting impact on people’s lives, so it’s been phenomenal to see the ISA Foundation become such a powerful force for good in communities around the world,” says Kathy Coover, Isagenix co-founder and executive vice president. “Jim and I are so grateful to partner with the foundation’s donors and grant recipients so Isagenix can provide support to those who need it most.”
This dedication to giving has helped countless communities, but there are more ways this wellness giant is helping those in need. Isagenix activates employees and customers and has even leveraged the products it creates to help those in need. For employees, it has designated two days of paid time off that can be used for volunteerism, and it has worked to facilitate some large-scale campaigns to inspire them to be of service.
Isagenix’s largest volunteer initiative is its annual Global Give Back Day, which promotes helping local communities and the environment through volunteer and donation activities around the world. This year’s activities ranged from packing food boxes and stuffing backpacks to sprucing up a local youth center and serving meals to families in need. In Arizona, Global Give Back Day efforts included participating in the Arizona Meal Pack for 9/11 Day. The result of this effort was 67,400 meals, which was donated to food-insecure individuals, contributing to the more than 3 million meals packed at events in eight cities across the United States — 500,000 more meals than expected.
In 2018, the company contributed $7.2 million in monetary and product donations to charitable and disaster-relief causes worldwide. Through its efforts, the company made donations that included giving shakes, protein bars and meal replacement bars worth nearly $1 million to St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix and to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank in Chandler, collectively.
As the ISA Foundation has gained momentum, it has continued to expand its outreach. Last year, its funding provided more than 1 million nutritious meals, including ongoing support in the Northwest region of Kenya, where extreme drought conditions make finding stable food sources nearly impossible. Through a partnership with Georgia-based SERV International, the meals provided in Kenya have helped ensure zero deaths from starvation in the Kikiring village for the past six months.
The intent with the ISA Foundation has always been to leave a positive imprint on those whom it has supported. And as Isagenix grows its business, it also continues to develop methods to support communities worldwide. As Lisa Ceballos, Isagenix senior community relations coordinator, says, “We’re honored to make a difference in the world together, and we’re excited about what’s ahead for the foundation, our amazing nonprofit partners and the communities we serve.”
Isagenix Is Paying It Forward through Its Products
In alignment with its desire to give back, Isagenix has tied some product sales to worthy causes. One campaign has it donating 5 percent of the profits of its new BĒA™ Sparkling Energy Drink to the foundation.
Another offering matches purchases. For each bag of its IsaKids® Super Smoothie purchased, the company donates one meal to a child in need through the ISA Foundation. So far, a total of more than 37,000 meals have been donated, including 7,192 meals from a special promotion it ran for a limited time.
Isagenix also shared a limited promotion that allowed customers to buy one, give one to provide nutrition to those in need. For every box of plant-based Chocolate Coconut Almond IsaLean® Bar purchased wholesale during the time allotted in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada, Isagenix donated one box of bars to a charitable organization. The 2,777 donated boxes had a retail value of approximately $122,000.
The Isagenix Foundation
In August 2018, Isagenix launched the ISA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in the United States. “ISA” reflects the foundation’s three guiding principles:
- Inspire: Inspire generosity and positive change by paying forward.
- Share: Give a helping hand. Everyone can do their share.
- Advocate: Advocate for change and raise awareness.
Nonprofits can apply for support by visiting www.isafoundation.net.
Tyler Butler (“Tyler Butler | Giving in Style”), founder and CEO of 11Eleven Consulting, is a corporate social responsibility practitioner and expert leader in the corporate citizenship space. She has served on numerous national and local boards and is often cited as a subject matter expert by Forbes, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report and more.
