How does CREDO’s progressive donations process work?

Ever since we were founded more than 30 years ago, CREDO has given consumers a powerful alternative to doing business with huge corporations whose conduct is antithetical to the political, environmental and social values we share.

Part of that mission is giving each CREDO member the ability to be a philanthropist to the progressive causes we all care about. Whenever our members use one of our products or services – CREDO Mobile, CREDO Energy, long distance or credit card — they contribute to our mission of progressive social action.

That’s because every month, we give to progressive causes like civil rights, women’s rights, peace, LGBTQ equality and climate justice. Since 1985, we’ve given more than $94 million.

Many members ask how our donations process works. Today we’d like to give you an inside look.

Our giving process is democratic

Each month, we donate to nonprofit groups fighting for progressive change – groups like Planned Parenthood, Rainforest Action Network, Social Security Works and so many others.

This money is generated entirely by our members. When they use one of our products or services – CREDO Mobile, CREDO Long Distance, CREDO Energy or the Working Assets Credit Card – we dedicate a portion of the revenue to our donations program. Many CREDO Mobile and CREDO Long Distance members also make additional donations by rounding up their monthly bills by a few dollars to send extra support to the causes we fund. Then, at the end of each month, we distribute these donations to the three nonprofit groups we’re supporting that month.

The groups we support are chosen democratically. Representatives from all CREDO departments meet monthly to vote for the three nonprofit groups that will be on the “donations ballot” and receive donations.

Our donations are distributed democratically. Each month, we send the donations ballot to CREDO members, activists and supporters, and they vote for the group (or groups) they’d most like to see funded. Donations are then distributed according to their votes.

Voting is open to all

Monthly voting is open to anyone who wants to take a few seconds to vote on our ballot and direct funding to the progressive nonprofit(s) of their choice. However, the votes of CREDO members carry a little more weight. The vote of a member with one CREDO product or service counts twice. The vote of a member with two CREDO products or services counts three times. And so on.

Monthly donations make faster impact

For many years, we sent our donations annually, distributed among 40 groups. In 2014, we moved to monthly distributions to three groups so that we can direct funds where action is urgently needed and make real change right away. This quick response time is especially vital now, as problems emerge and escalate with increasing speed – and as the Trump administration lashes out with threats in new directions almost daily.

You can vote now

If you’d like to vote and help us distribute funding to this month’s nonprofit grantees, you can do it now. CREDO membership is not required. If you’ve already voted, you can send additional support to one, two or all three of this month’s grantees by making a donation. You can also nominate a group to receive donations in a future month.

Thanks to our members who are working for a better future today

The dollars we donate make a lot of change in the world. And it all happens because of CREDO members, who generate these donations (at no extra cost to them) simply by using our products and services. So thank you, CREDO members, for everything you do.