Calculating my donation of 10% of all sales from The Nepal Line to the Nepal Library Foundation
I started by deciding on a manageable monthly donation and multiplying that by 12. Then I reverse calculated the % of my sales of Fair Trade products, that my annual donation would represent. To find the total sales of products from Nepal I searched “Fair Trade” in my sales records. I got a number that included other Fair Trade products, as well as combined sales of Canadian and Fair Trade products. The number was, therefore ,certainly an over estimate. The number was very close to exactly 10x my manageable donation. So it’s safe to say I’m donating at least 10% of those sales to the Nepal Library Foundation.
The next step was to ensure I could keep perfect track of the actual sales of products from Nepal this year. This just meant creating a special category on my website, since my inventory is synced between the store and website anyway. So this year I’ll know the exact number. I expect it to be less than the estimate of 10x my donation, since that was an overestimate. If by chance I sell more than 10x my donation, I’ll send an extra donation in December. And assuming I sell less than that, it won’t affect my donation. Either way, I’m able to accurately state that I donate (at minimum) 10% of my sales of Fair Trade products from Nepal. I’m very excited to be able to do this!
Why Nepal Library Foundation
My experience with importing has taught me that Nepal is on a special list of least developed countries in the world. I also know that literacy rates in Nepal are among the lowest in the world. Availability of access to information and educational opportunities has an enormous impact on the success of a society. Most Canadians, including myself, are privileged in this way.
I believe that libraries are so important to all communities because they empower people to educate themselves. I’m excited to be partnering with the Nepal library foundation!
Statement from Nepal Library Foundation president
“The Nepal Library Foundation has been involved in establishment of libraries in rural Nepal by providing books; computers, librarian training, establishment of Book Clubs and installation of off-line servers to access Nepal’s only digital library for about 11 years. Our footprint is in over 110 community and school libraries across the country. Our mission is to enhance educational opportunities to Nepali people, particularly women and children, through the medium of libraries. We also advocate for public policy on provision of libraries.”