frequently asked questions
Here to answer your most frequently asked questions!
Are you a registered non-profit? Will I get get a tax receipt?
Yes, we’re a registered 501C(3) charity. All donations made in the U.S. and Canada will receive a tax receipt.
You can donate securely through our online donation page.
If you have any questions about your donation please contact partnerships@imanicollective.com
What are your guiding principles?
- Shine Christ in all that we do.
- Strive for sustainability: socially, spiritually, financially, and environmentally.
- Cultivate community: together, we are not just better - we are our best. It takes a collective to do all that we do, so we acknowledge and know we are a collective — a family. We are in this together.
- Holistic empowerment, opportunity and transformation for all of our artisans + staff.
- Effective and transparent stewardship of our financial and human resources
- Embrace flexibility and actively pursue innovation
- Live fearlessly: do not let fears stop us from dreaming.
- Operate with integrity, accountability and humility.
- Embrace transparency, always.
- Be intentional about sharing our story with others.
What is your methodology?
Our Mission: Together, we unleash greatness within artisans + their communities by crafting ethical lifestyle products that cultivate holistic empowerment and opportunity.
Our Vision: Through holistic empowerment, opportunity and community we will break the generational cycle of poverty through transformation of our collective.
Economic:
To be sustainable and profitable through our product revenue alone. We desire to sustain our materials, both in human and material capital, to create long-term solutions.
Spiritual:
To radiate Christ’s love, always. To lead with a servant's heart and operate with integrity and transparency in our hearts and finances. To create an effective business model that measures success first by the spiritual fruit, and then by fiscal.
Social:
To care deeply for our women holistically and spiritually. We strive to understand the needs of our artisans and consistently pursue their well-being in all facets of life.
Environmental:
To reduce our carbon footprint through a circular economy model that focuses on reducing waste and increasing the reusability of material. We strive to be restorative and regenerative design, proactively exploring innovative ideas that bring less harm to our world.
Why a hybrid model?
Within the social impact space, we have noticed that many businesses have struggled to accommodate both impact and growth. This is usually due to a lack of funding to pay staff, expand operations, and market your services. Nonprofit enterprises lack the ability to support themselves due to the sporadic nature of donations and grant-based funding. In order to sustainably grow, profits must come in from a new avenue.
The Hybrid Model combines the business world and non-profit sector to create sustainable impact. Our LLC creates and sells products which ensures all employees are being provided ethical wages while our Nonprofit ensures the wellbeing of each employee serving the social and spiritual side of an individual. Likewise, the PLC produces and sells products within the Kenyan markets as the NGO targets larger grants to provide funding for new training initiatives and building projects. All parts of our company are intertwined for the good of our artisans and their communities, ensuring our impact will last for generations.
Regarding direct impact, many workforce development organizations in our sector struggle to create lasting economic change. We believe this is because they fail to implement models that address the well-being of the whole person. Employee well-being is not limited to an employee’s mental, physical, and economic health. Their emotional health and family health is just as important. If our artisans are happy, they are able to be more productive as well. This is why we make sure they are on the path to success—to breaking out of the generational cycle of poverty they have found themselves in. Our wrap-around support package caters to their needs and helps them take the next step into becoming financially stable.
This was Jenny’s goal in starting Imani Collective. As she continued to build Imani, Jenny continued to be innovative in her approach to fill the gaps in the artisan sector. Many of the artisans were uneducated and felt they lacked worth or value. If they had encountered other mentorship programs, they had seen little follow-up afterwards. Jenny made it a priority to accompany Imani’s artisans long-term, remaining committed until they no longer needed our employment to flourish.
What is Imani Collective | SOKO?
What is Sukwa Saddle Blankets?
Sukwa Saddle Blankets was founded to create quality Saddle Blankets for both our riders and their best friend, while also working to make the world a better place.
HOW SUKWA STARTED
Sukwa means woven in Swahili. We saw a need in the market for beautifully innovative, quality Saddle Blankets, and also knew we had friends and artisans in Kenya who could create just that. We teamed up with Imani Collective - a women's economic empowerment program in Kenya - to design and produce hand-woven Saddle Blankets using the highest quality local wool and mohair sourced straight from Northern Kenyan sheep farmers. Our vision was to create a product that could inspire and empower - catering to the needs of both the rider and their horse, but also able to give back to the Imani Collective community. We are exceptionally proud of the products we've created, and honored to partner with this amazing organization.
HOW SUKWA MAKES A DIFFERENCE
For every Sukwa Saddle Blanket sold, 5% is given back to a variety of holistic programs. What does that mean? Every Saddle Blanket sold provides either 55 meals for the Imani Collective artisan that created the Blanket, or a month of schooling for one of their kids. Sukwa Saddle Blankets is dedicated to creating a beautiful product for you and making this world a better place, one Blanket at a time.
Can I send a letter to the artisan who created my product?
Our artisans love hearing from our donors and customers. You can share your appreciation HERE. All of our thank you letters are printed and displayed on our community board.
What is Ethical Impact?
At its core “ethical” begins with understanding that all of our actions - from what we say we say, to how we say it, to the way in which we follow through on what we say - carry the weight of impact, whether positive or negative. To create positive impact, we must be intentional with how we show up in the world. This requires a lot from us personally. It means listening radically, asking the hard questions, taking stock of your own intentions, and humbling yourself to admit when they are misaligned with the long-term benefit of others.
In business showing up intentionally means shifting the traditional definition of success of the singular profit bottomline to a more holistic framework - one that takes a top-down approach to all facets of your organization, not just a select few that can earn you an “ethical stamp of approval.” A framework that recognizes that your business or nonprofit structure, functions, and presence have the power to effect those it touches. Sometimes this means focusing less on immediate return and more on sustainable long-term impact, more than even the triple bottomline.
Ultimately, here’s what being “ethical” is not: it’s not something that you arrive at.
Rather, it’s an ongoing process of striving to do good. It’s showing up, every day, holding firm to the dream and purpose that first lit a fire within you. It’s choosing the right way, even if it’s the hard way. It’s failing, checking egos, challenging those who tell you you can’t, and never letting go of the belief that change is possible.
Chasing this “ethical” standard can feel muddled and overwhelming at times. Isolating, even. It’s hard to know where to start, let alone where to go next or who to ask for help. Through the School of Ethical Impact®, we want to change that.
donating to imani collective
Where does the money go when I donate to your organization?
We always spend 100% of you money to support the non profit wing of our organization. That can include our holistic programs, current projects, or our operations cost. You as the donor have the ability to direct your donation to the cause that is most connected with your passion. Please reach out to partnerships@imanicollective.com if there is a specific place you would like to direct your donation; otherwise, it will be used as needed to support our nonprofit operations.
How can I make a donation to your organization?
Check out all our donation options below:
Online: Donating online is our easiest options. You can donate using any major credit card here.
Please note: that while we do accept international donation all transaction will be converted to USD.
Security for online donations: We use Stripe to securely process all online donations. Don't worry -- you don't need an account with them to donate to Imani Collective, and we'll never share your information with anyone.
By check: Send checks (please no cash) for general donations to:
20540 Hwy 46 W, Ste. 115 PMB #460
Spring Branch, TX 78070
If you're donating in honor of someone, sponsoring a specific project or want to direct your donation to our operations costs, please write this in the memo of your check.
Only donations made from within the U.S. or Canada. are tax-deductible and we can only accept donations in U.S. currency.
For USD money orders, please collect donations in your currency, then mail a USD money order to:
Imani Collective
20540 Hwy 46 W, Ste. 115 PMB #460
Spring Branch, TX 78070
Money orders should be made payable to Imani Collective. At this time, we don't accept foreign checks; however, international banks can and will make checks out in USD for you, if you go in and ask. You can then mail us that check, using our address listed above.
Make a donation through M-Pesa via M-Changa
All donations made through M-Changa will be process through Global Giving.
Please follow instructions below to donate today:
This project is eligible to accept Kenyan Shilling (KES) donations via M-Pesa through a partnership with M-Changa.
- Select “Pay Bill” from the M-Pesa menu.
- Enter the M-Changa business number 891300
- Enter your new GlobalGiving account number GG56254
- Enter the amount you wish to pay
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN
- Confirm that all details are correct
- You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS
How does a monthly recurring donation work?
We're so excited that you're interested in partnering with us on a monthly basis to sustainably support our mission!
Our monthly giving program, The SEED (Supporting Economic Empowerment + Development) Program, allows you to give as much as you'd like on a monthly cadence. You can choose to donate through a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or link your bank account*.
Your generous donation will then be automatically deducted starting on the date that you've signed up and will occur every month on the same day.
You can edit the date of the automatic deduction, your giving amount, and your payment option at any time through your account settings.
Sign up to make a monthly gift here.
How can I support Imani Collective through AmazonSmile?
Amazon users can now support charity: water through AmazonSmile on their desktop computer, iOS, or Android devices.
- On your computer, click here to join AmazonSmile. Use this link if you're in the UK!
- On your phone, download the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
- Open the updated app and tap ☰, then Settings, then AmazonSmile.
- Tap “Turn on AmazonSmile” and follow the prompts to complete your registration.
If you have more questions about AmazonSmile, you can view the US program details here and the UK program details here.
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Making a Donation Vs Purchasing a Product
Do you primarily work with women or men?
Because women in our community are not given the same opportunities to receive formal skills training , we’re trying to bridge the gap and give single, widowed, and disabled women the opportunity to join our sewing and tailoring program.
However, in our commitment to equity and opportunity in everything we do, we also open employment opportunities to men in the community. Our company has 75% women employed and 15% men employed.
