15 Percent Pledge

Non-profit organization July 2021 15 Percent Pledge logo Dark.png Aurora James 2020 Nonprofit organization New York City, U.S. Chairperson Emma Grede Aurora James (CEO)LaToya Williams-Belfort (Executive Director) 15 Percent Pledge 16 https://www.15percentpledge.org/ The 15 Percent Pledge is a US-based non-profit organization that encourages retailers to pledge at least 15 percent of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses. The foundation conducts audits, shares its database of Black-owned businesses, and offers business development strategies to participating companies. It was established in 2020 by Aurora James after she created the 15 Percent Pledge initiative on Instagram, following the murder of George Floyd.Regensdorf Laura Aurora James on This Week's Big Win for the 15 Percent Pledge and Black-Owned Brands https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/06/aurora-james-15-percent-pledge-sephora-black-owned-brands Vanity Fair June 12, 2020 History The murder of George Floyd sparked a wave of activism for the Black Lives Matter movement that renewed calls for social justice reform and the end of systemic racism, and included declarations of support from various corporations;Fraser Kristopher Will Aurora James' 15 Percent Pledge Help Start a Black Retail Revolution? https://www.thedailybeast.com/will-aurora-james-15-percent-pledge-help-start-a-black-retail-revolution 21 June 2021 The Daily Beast June 21, 2020 according to TIME Magazine, James wanted to "find a way that companies could make a tangible change," and "from there, the 15 Percent Pledge was born." James launched the initiative called the 15 Percent PledgeKent Sarah Lieber Chavie Designer Aurora James Calls on Retailers to Commit to Black-Owned Businesses https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/george-floyd-minneapolis-black-fashion-designers-aurora-james Business of Fashion May 31, 2020 16 December 2020 with an Instagram post on May 29, 2020, that tagged Barnes & Noble, Home Depot, MedMen, Net-a-Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods. James wrote on Instagram: "So many of your businesses are built on Black spending power. So many of your stores are set up in Black communities. So many of your sponsored posts are seen on Black feeds. This is the least you can do for us. We represent 15% of the population and we need to represent 15% of your shelf space."Samaha Barry Aurora James Is Calling On the Retail Industry to Take the 15 Percent Pledge https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a32801800/15-percent-pledge-aurora-james/ Harpers Bazaar June 8, 2020 In August 2020, James recalled, "I was watching Black-owned businesses literally shutter before my very eyes while I was also seeing these major retailers say, 'We stand with you,'" ... "And the reality is that you actually don't."Cachero Paulina Fashion Entrepreneur Aurora James: 'We Need to Support Black-Owned Businesses. Period.' https://time.com/5878267/aurora-james-time100-talks/ 16 December 2020 TIME Magazine August 11, 2020 Vogue writes the post "immediately went viral and resulted in an outpouring of interest."Okwudo Janelle Aurora James on Fashion, Feminism, and the Fifteen Percent Pledge https://www.vogue.com/article/aurora-james-september-issue-2020-15-percent-pledge 16 December 2020 VOGUE August 26, 2020 James then started an Instagram account for the 15 Percent Pledge and continued tagging retailers to highlight disparities impacting Black-owned businesses.Urquhart Tira Shoe Designer Aurora James Challenges The Fashion Community With "15% Pledge" To Demand Support Of Black-Owned Businesses https://www.bet.com/article/vgvvpg/aurora-james-challenges-fashion-with-15-pledge https://web.archive.org/web/20211027194159/https://www.bet.com/article/vgvvpg/aurora-james-challenges-fashion-with-15-pledge dead October 27, 2021 16 December 2020 BET June 10, 2020 In June 2020, James told GQ, "This is a really tough time for everyone, and people shopping is by no means going to ease the pain of the lives that we have lost ... There are also a lot of other things that we need people to be doing, like donating to bail funds."Wolf Cam This Initiative Could Direct Billions of Dollars to Black-Owned Businesses https://www.gq.com/story/15-percent-pledge GQ 17 December 2020 June 2, 2020 The 15 Percent Pledge Foundation After the early success of the 15 Percent Pledge initiative, the 15 Percent Pledge Foundation was created as a non-profit organizationConnelly Louise This Instagram post could unlock hundreds of millions of dollars for Black-owned businesses https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/09/how-this-instagram-post-could-unlock-millions-for-black-owned-businesses.html 20 June 2021 CNBC August 9, 2020 to urge major retailers to commit 15% of their shelf-space to Black-owned businessesHolman Jordyn Aurora James, the Founder Seeking Shelf Space https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-12-03/aurora-james-founder-of-fifteen-percent-pledge-foundation-bloomberg-50-2020 16 December 2020 Bloomberg December 7, 2020Rougeau Naomi How Aurora James Took the 15 Percent Pledge From an Instagram Post to a 501(c)(3) https://www.elle.com/fashion/a33966286/aurora-james-15-percent-pledge/ ELLE Magazine 16 December 2020 September 15, 2020 and to build generational wealth in Black communities.Duffy Clare 15% Pledge calls on Target, Whole Foods and other retailers to dedicate shelf space to black-owned businesses https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/business/15-percent-pledge-black-owned-businesses/index.html 17 December 2020 CNN Business June 7, 2020 The 15 Percent Pledge is registered as a domestic not-for-profit organisation in New York15 PERCENT PLEDGE INC. https://opengovny.com/corporation/5759778 opengovny 4 October 2021 and fiscally sponsored by the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that serves as a fiscal depository for organizations in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status.Designated Funds https://www.venturesfoundation.org/donors/designated-funds/ Philanthropic Ventures Foundation 4 October 2021 The 15 Percent Pledge is more than a commitment to allocating shelf space to Black-owned businesses; companies signing the pledge are also asked to audit their contracts to determine how their spending is allocated. The foundation conducts the audit of the company each quarter, shares its database of Black-owned businesses, and offers business development strategies. Development On June 10, 2020, Sephora was announced publicly as the first business to sign on to the 15 Percent Pledge, and said it would create an advisory group that includes James and other leaders of brands owned by people of color to help Sephora make changes.Maheshwari Sapna June 10, 2020 Sephora Signs '15 Percent Pledge' to Carry More Black-Owned Brands en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/business/sephora-black-owned-brands.html 2020-08-17 0362-4331 The New York Times writes Sephora also "said it would provide connections and support to black-owned businesses from funders and venture capitalists and evolve its existing incubation programs to 'focus on women of color,'" and that this is an example of the type of longer-lasting change sought by the 15 Percent Pledge. Since then, Sephora developed Sephora Accelerate, a mentoring program focused on supporting beauty brands founded by Black, indigenous and people of color.Meet the woman on a mission to have retailers commit 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands https://www.cbsnews.com/news/15-percent-pledge-aurora-james/ 20 June 2021 CBS This Morning March 6, 2021 Businesses including Rent The Runway, West Elm, and MedMen, as well as Macy's, Indigo Books & Music in Toronto, Yelp, the U.S. edition of Condé Nast's Vogue, Macy's subsidiaries Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury, and InStyle magazineFernandez Chantal Chantal Fernandez November 23, 2020 Macy's Inc. and InStyle Join 15 Percent Pledge to Support Black-Owned Brands https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/retail/macys-inc-and-instyle-join-15-percent-pledge-to-support-black-owned-brands 17 December 2020 Business of Fashion have since signed on to the 15 Percent Pledge. In August 2020, the 15 Percent Pledge Foundation conducted audits of retailers, including Target, Whole Foods, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus, and according to Reuters, found "Black-owned businesses currently constitute on average just 1% of U.S. retailers' supplier base."Waldersee Victoria Yelp joins 15 Percent Pledge to increase representation of Black-owned businesses https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-yelp-idUSKBN25R231 17 December 2020 Reuters August 31, 2020 In September 2020, James asked Canadian retailers to take the 15 Percent Pledge in a Toronto Star opinion article,James Aurora Black and Indigenous creators are missing from the shelves of Canadian retailers — the 15 Percent Pledge aims to fix that https://www.thestar.com/business/opinion/2020/09/27/black-and-indigenous-creators-are-missing-from-the-shelves-of-canadian-retailers-the-15-percent-pledge-aims-to-fix-that.html 17 December 2020 The Toronto Star September 27, 2020 and CBC News reports "James said the Canadian effort was launched partly in response to feedback she got from Canadians who got in touch as a result of the U.S. campaign to say that retailers such as Hudson's Bay and Holt Renfrew can do better."Weikle Brandie Campaign to promote BIPOC-owned brands calls on Canadian retailers to take '15 Percent Pledge' https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/15-per-cent-pledge-canada-1.5626943 17 December 2020 CBC News June 25, 2020 Indigo Books and Music became the first Canadian company to take the 15 Percent Pledge.Galways Souzan Michael Indigo Is the First Major Canadian Retailer Committed to Selling More Black Brands https://www.flare.com/fashion-beauty/brands-that-signed-15-percent-pledge/ Flare October 22, 2020 June 4, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210604032821/https://www.flare.com/fashion-beauty/brands-that-signed-15-percent-pledge/ dead In April 2021, the foundation publicly addressed the announcement by Target of its plan to spend more than $2 billion on Black-owned businesses by 2025,Boyle Matthew Target pledges to expand products from Black-owned firms https://www.seattletimes.com/business/target-pledges-to-expand-products-from-black-owned-firms/ 20 June 2021 The Seattle Times Bloomberg April 7, 2021 with a statement that included, "We should not be applauding this. We deserve so much more than this" and an allegation that Target had copied the foundation's branding, which Target denied.Fernandez Chantal 15 Percent Pledge Calls Out Target on Racial Equity Initiatives https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/retail/15-percent-pledge-calls-out-target-on-racial-equity-initiatives 20 June 2021 Business of Fashion April 9, 2021Smith Lilly Did Target steal this Black creator's branding? https://www.fastcompany.com/90623845/did-target-steal-this-black-creators-branding 20 June 2021 Fast Company April 9, 2021 James told CNBC in May 2021, "Whether or not Target wants to take the pledge or any of these other companies want to take the pledge, we're still going to keep holding their feet to the fire and pushing them to do more." By May 2021, the 15 Percent Pledge Foundation had 25 retail partners.Repko Melissa Thomas Lauren After George Floyd was killed, retailers pledged to put Black-owned brands on shelves. Here's how it's going https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/25/retailers-diversity-pledges-put-more-black-owned-brands-on-shelves.html 20 June 2021 CNBC May 25, 2021Martin Michel Update On Retailers' '15 Percent Pledge' https://www.npr.org/2021/06/05/1003639671/update-on-retailers-15-percent-pledge 20 June 2021 NPR June 5, 2021 Currently 29 companies have committed to the pledge including Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Moda Operandi, Kith, J.Crew, Blue Mercury and Victoria's Secret. Eldor Karin Three Years Later, Fifteen Percent Pledge Aims To Shift $14 Billion To Black Founders https://www.forbes.com/sites/karineldor/2023/06/20/as-the-15-percent-pledge-marks-its-3-year-anniversary-aurora-james-asserts-were-just-getting-started/ 2024-06-08 Forbes en In 2022, Google partnered with the foundation to offer a $200,000 grant to a black entrepreneur.2022-12-09 Google Partners With The 15 Percent Pledge To Grant $200k To A Black Entrepreneur https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/aurora-james-15-percent-supplier-diversity/ 2024-05-27 Essence en-US In November 2023, the 15 Percent Pledge Foundation and Sephora announced the 'Sephora Beauty Grant', which awarded a black business owner within the beauty industry $100,000.2023-11-13 Sephora Announces Black-Owned Beauty Grant https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/beauty/sephora-black-owned-business-grant/ 2024-05-27 The Business of Fashion enMcKinney Jeffrey 2023-11-15 Sephora $100K Beauty Grant Will Benefit A Black Beauty Business Owner https://www.blackenterprise.com/sephora-beauty-grant-100k-business-owner/ 2024-05-27 Black Enterprise en-US2023-11-14 Fifteen Percent Pledge Announces $100,000 Sephora Beauty Grant https://www.essence.com/beauty/fifteen-percent-pledge-sephora-grant/ 2024-05-27 Essence en-US References External links Official website Category:Organizations established in 2020 Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Black-owned companies of the United States