LITE supports social purchasing directly in our work with social enterprises in Winnipeg, and supports the growth of the social economy in Manitoba by directly working with partner organizations to create, shape and market goods made by social enterprises.
What is Social Purchasing?
Each purchase we make–from groceries to clothing to the services that improve our lives–has an economic and social impact.
Social purchasing is over 50% of LITE’s jobs each year.
LITE’s social purchasing is largely funded by individual and corporate purchases. Your purchase empowers local businesses and social enterprises to grow, while supporting employment and training-based initiatives.
Individual donors and project funding supports our capacity to engage partner organizations in product development, helping organizations enter the social economy when they may not have the expertise to do so alone.
The LITE Shop
The LITE Shop is a marketplace for social enterprises and community organizations to showcase their products and generate revenue to support their programs.
Products on the LITE Shop are purchased by us and resold with minimal markup. The LITE Shop always offers “Buy to Donate” items, products that can be purchased for the purpose of donating to a local charity, which LITE will do on the purchasers’ behalf. These products are based on needs we know they have, and often address specific gaps in donations from the public.
By working with our partners, we keep costs to customers reasonable, while ensuring that we can continue to invest in those same partners and help them build their business, production capacity and know-how in the process.
The LITE Shop’s goal is for partners to earn money, learn how to cost their products, and start to manage production / delivery with a business mindset. For some partners, this allows them to diversify revenue sources, and for others, it’s a way to build a social enterprise.
LITE’s Hamper
The Hamper is LITE’s response to the downside of the traditional charity model: when free goods flood a neighbourhood, local businesses suffer, resulting in fewer local employment opportunities.
By purchasing food and goods from inner city businesses and social enterprises, LITE supports much-needed local employment while helping grow a local economy.
Hampers include both food and goods, made, packed and delivered by community partners.
Donate today so we can provide more hampers to families in need in Winnipeg’s core communities.