- How It Works
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Zuma works to do business the right way. We go against the grain of today’s mega- corporations and reinvest our profits into the community, not our pockets and bottom line. As such, we donate a minimum of 50% of our net profits to select charities.
We´ve worked thoughtfully to include charities that are important to us and hopefully to you. If you have a charity you would like us to consider supporting, or have any questions about the charitable giving aspect of our company, please email us at charity@Zumaoffice.com.
- You Decide the Charity
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We care about supporting charities that are important to you. That’s why we ask you to choose a charity from our list of selected organizations with every Zuma purchase.
To be clear, there is no added cost to you. We are simply asking where you would like us to share our operating profits. We then tabulate our customer´s charity preferences and make our donations where you prefer our support be allocated.
Example: If Save the Children is selected 20% of the time by our customers, than they receive 20% of our donated profits.
This way, you have a voice on how we support our communities.
- Why These Charities?
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We support charities that use the vast majority of all donations toward the cause, not for corporate overhead, salaries or fund raising. In fact, most of the charities we support use over 90% of donations for the cause and are highly rated by CharityWatch.org and CharityNavigator.org.
You will recognize many of our selected charities, and others may not be familiar to you. Our hope is to inform and educate Zuma customers about these worthy charities, to grow support for their efforts, and help those in need.
We expect customer input to shape and mold the Zuma Charity List as it evolves over time. We are committed to reviewing the list every year to ensure we are supporting the organizations that you tell us are important.
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What led to the decision to share profits with those in need?
A: Let´s face it, there is far more to life than selling paper clips, pens and staplers. The root of the idea is to create meaning in our work day, do business the right way, and make a difference by helping others…it´s that simple.
Q: How do you select the charities you support?
A: First, we focused on causes that are important to us and people we talk with –– causes like cancer research, children, hunger and the environment. Next, we studied a large variety of charities to identify the ones we believe are outstanding – those that use the vast majority of contributions for the cause versus corporate overhead, salaries and fund raising.
Then we studied a condensed list of charities using respected charity rating organizations – CharityWatch.org and CharityNavigator.org – to fine tune our list, (most use over 90% of contributions for the cause). We prefer the charities be national in scope so they have relevance to our nationwide customer base.
Our goal is to contribute to a broad spectrum of charities that includes at least one area each of our customers would like to support. If there are charitable organizations you would like us to consider for our list, please email your suggestions to charity@Zumaoffice.com.
Q: I´m all for helping charities, but I need to save money and can’t afford to "fund" donations by paying higher prices. Are your prices higher to support this model?
A: We know that competitive prices are a must. We shop the competition every week to ensure our prices either meet or beat big box retailers – Office Depot, Staples and OfficeMax. Our model is to support the community AND offer low prices.
Q: If 50% of profits are being donated to charity, how much do you expect to give?
A: Zuma believes it is important we contribute to these great charities even before we are profitable. We launched in late 2009, and it will take some time to grow into a profitable organization. However, Zuma commits to donating a minimum of $500 per charity, with a minimum total of $5000 in contributions per year, until profits earned allow us to donate at a higher level.
This is where you can help...by telling others about our company and helping us grow, we will be making a difference together, and giving back to our communities. Our goal is to donate over $200,000 in our first four years of operation - hopefully more!
Q: In today´s tough economy, how can you afford to give away 50% of your profits and still make money and build a strong business?
A: The key is we give away 50% of our profits. All of our employees earn reasonable salaries and receive benefits that support them and their families. The money donated to charity is from the profits generated by our company.
In short, rather than keeping the excess rewards of our business and buying more stuff, we chose to give 50% of the earnings away to help make a difference. We then reinvest the other 50% in the business to help us grow – and maybe get the kids through college
. Q: Can we see how much is going to each charity and the progress being made?
A: Yes, although we are a private company, we will post contribution results on our website and send update emails. If you would like us to include you on our email list please drop us a note at customerservice@Zumaoffice.com.
Please Note: The charities we support are selected by Zuma staff and customer input, and does not reflect an endorsement by those charities of our company or our products. They are simply great organizations we believe in and support.
Have a question we didn’t answer?
Email us at customerservice@Zumaoffice.com, or call us toll free at 1–877–473–4097.
We´d love to hear from you!
In your office and in your community.
Supported Charities & Links for More Info
Please Note: The charities we support are selected by Zuma staff and customer input, and does not reflect an endorsement by those charities of our company or our products. They are simply great organizations we believe in and support.
Cancer Research
The V Foundation for Cancer Research www.jimmyv.org
Dedicated to saving lives by helping find a cure for cancer. Named for former North Carolina State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano.
Children
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America www.bbbs.org
The oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring program in the country, whose mission is to help children reach their potential.
Save the Children www.savethechildren.org
A unique self-help approach to relief, recovery and ongoing development has nurtured the seeds of hope for millions of children and their families.
Environment & Conservation
The Conservation Fund www.conservationfund.org
Advancing America´s land and water legacy through conservation and training, the Conservation Fund has saved over 6 million acres of wild havens and working lands.
Humanitarian
Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org
Focusing on the relief of poverty, disaster relief, education and other charitable endeavors beneficial to society.
Hunger
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas www.austinfoodbank.org
Providing food and grocery products to more than 350 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties, with a mission to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger.
Military Families
Fisher House Foundation www.fisherhouse.org
Supporting military families in their time of need. A home away from home for families while loved ones are hospitalized for injuries, illnesses or disease.
Pets & Animals
Best Friends Animal Society www.bestfriends.org
Working through adoption, spay/neuter, foster and shelter programs to bring about a time when every pet enjoys a loving home, and every family finds their special companion.
Prison Mentorship
Prison Entrepreneurship Program www.pep.org
Helping prison inmates committed to their own transformation by equipping them with education, life and skills training to successfully reenter society and create new businesses.
Recovery & Addiction
Hazelden www.hazelden.org
Helping people transform their lives by providing the best addiction treatment and recovery services as well as education, research and publishing.
In your office and in your community.