I haven’t reblogged anyone’s content on my page before, but I found this article from JoyCorps so interesting that I though it was worth sharing the link. I love TOMS shoes. I love their mission and heart for helping the less fortunate through social entrepreneurship. TOMS saw a way to combine business with altruism. Is TOMS only a not-for-profit? Of course not! They are a business intended to make money. Does that make them evil? No. Without a profit they would be unable to provide numerous jobs, put shoes on barefoot children, and provide necessary eye-care to the blind and those with visual disturbances.
Has the recent TOMS’ business decision to partner with corporate America lessened their mission? As a medical provider and public health specialist who has a heart for international health care, I would say that we need more companies that are willing to create sustainable solutions for poverty, disease, and illness. I applaud grass-roots non-profits (I even volunteer with several), but even these groups need funding to make a difference.
Unfortunately, non-profits end up spending so much time trying to get their funding that they are unable to focus on their primary mission…helping the less fortunate or those in need of medical attention. Social entrepreneurship provides a way for non-profits to be sustainably funded…genius in my opinion. If TOMS can increase their altruistic reach and ONE for ONE impact by partnering with corporate America, maybe it is a smart move. Maybe we shouldn’t be too quick to judge but should instead wait and see what good their social entrepreneurship is about to do. I don’t hold any of the other shoe brands I wear to such a high moral standard…do you? 
Check out this great article from JoyCorps for more thoughts on the recent TOMS 50% buy-out by Bain Capital. Leave a comment here letting me know what you think! http://joycorps.org/is-toms-selling-out/
Oh, and just because I love all of my fans…I’ve decided to do a TOMS shoes giveaway! Yep…free from me to your little one’s feet. A pair of pink Tiny TOMS Glitters could be all yours! Just leave a comment below with your thoughts on this article and then share it on your Facebook page. Oh, and make sure you click this link to enter your name to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway
From The Mom in Me, MD
The Mom in Me, MD 