FAQs

Women have only reached at best 18% leadership representation in any US sector, and yet we hold about 80% of the consumer purchasing power in this country. If we must shop, let’s shop to the top.

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1. Why buy on Shoptimize?

When you buy on Shoptimize, everything you purchase will advance women. We don’t just advance women-led businesses, we give at least 1% of our after-tax profits each year to nonprofit organizations that advance and empower women and girls.

You can buy on any site (or in any store), but at Shoptimize, you can buy the change you want to see in the world. When women “crowdshop” on Shoptimize, we not only advance women, we send a signal to other retailers that we care about advancing women.

Research shows that at the current rate of women advancing to leadership, we will not reach gender parity with men for over 125 years and perhaps as long as 475 years. We don’t have that long to wait if we want to see ourselves, our daughters and future women progress. So, if we have surpassed men in consumer spending power (70%+) let’s use that overwhelming spending power to tip the leadership scales. If we must shop, let’s shop to the top!

2. Who Has Shoptimize Donated To So Far?

We showcase products from women-led businesses (where women hold 50% or more of leadership) and help these businesses grow.

We give 1% of our profits each year to nonprofit organizations that advance and empower women and girls.

Here is who Shoptimize has donated to in 2012:

• The Women's Funding Network (International, based in CA)
• Hartford Public Library (CT)
• Conard High School (West Hartford, CT)
• The Boys & Girls Club of Hartford's SMART Girls Program (CT)
• The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (CA)
• CTGIrlcott.org (CT)
• The American Red Cross (Storm Sandy Relief)
• The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (CT)
• The Women and Girls Fund at the Main Street Community Foundation (CT)

3. Why don’t you have products from big, well-known companies?

Making inroads to more women in leadership at bigger companies is critical. To find out which bigger companies are advancing women to leadership, please visit our partner site, www.202wob.org which tracks this essential information.

Shoptimize focuses on being a powerful platform for launching and growing smaller women-led businesses to help them grow and to carry a unique product line. Our mantra is come for the cause, come back for the cool products.

More Resources

2020 Women on Boards: For information on what you else you can do to see more women on corporate boards and a directory of companies that have great board diversity or are getting there.

Catalyst is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women.

For our daughters, our granddaughters, nieces and the women who we will never meet, but whose breakthroughs we will claim as our own, let’s do this thing. If we must shop, let’s shop to the top.
~Donna Haghighat