ME to WE

Following the founding of We Charity (formerly known as Free the Children) in 1995, Craig and Marc Kielburger launched a program called "Leaders Today", to offer leadership training to young people and volunteer trips to developing communities served by their charity.Christine Langlois, [http://www.canadianliving.com/life/community/the_accidental_activists_craig_and_marc_kielburger.php "The accidental activists: Craig and Marc Kielburger"], Canadian Living, September 21, 2009. In 2008, the Kielburgers launched the for-profit company Me to We, which continued the trips program, and added the sale of socially conscious retail items.

In 2009, half of Me to We's profits were donated to We Charity to support its operating costs, while the remainder was reinvested back into the company.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marc-and-craig-kielburgers-do-gooding-social-enterprise/article4389008/|title=Marc and Craig Kielburger's do-gooding social enterprise|access-date=2019-01-07}}

In 2015, Me to We received certification as a B Corporation.{{Cite web|url=https://bcorporation.net/directory/me-to-we|title=ME to WE {{!}} Certified B Corporation|website=bcorporation.net|access-date=2019-06-16}}

The company has been criticized for blending corporate promotion with its activist goals.{{Cite web|title=We Day's blend of activism, corporate messages prompts criticism from teacher | CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/we-day-winnipeg-2015-1.3320693}}{{Cite web|date=28 October 2010|title=We Day: The corporate selling of progressive ethics and hope to youth|url=https://rabble.ca/news/2010/10/we-day-corporate-selling-progressive-ethics-and-hope-youth}}{{Cite web|date=30 October 2013|title=A Teacher's Critique of 'We Day'|url=https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2013/10/30/A-Teachers-Critique-of-We-Day/}} Leadership has also been profiled for their "aggressive responses to criticism", with tight control over media presence and a history of lawsuits.{{Cite web|title=How The Kielburgers Handle The Press|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/how-the-kielburgers-handle-the-press/|access-date=2020-06-15|website=canadalandshow.com|date=19 November 2018 }}

In October 2018 Jaren Kerr, writing for the Canadian news site Canadaland, argued that ME to WE’s partnership with Walgreens amounted in effect to partnerships with several of Walgreens’ suppliers, including Hershey’s and Kellogg’s, which had been accused of sourcing chocolate and palm oil in part to suppliers which use child labour.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/craig-kielburger-founded-we-to-fight-child-labour-now-the-we-brand-promotes-products-made-by-children/|title=Craig Kielburger Founded WE To Fight Child Labour. Now The WE Brand Promotes Products Made By Children.|website=canadalandshow.com|date=15 October 2018 |access-date=2020-03-29}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2018-10-18/editorials/wes-use-of-child-labour-reverses-social-progress/ |title = WE's links to child labour reverse social progress| date=19 October 2018 }} 'Kerr’s piece was accompanied by a photograph showing ME to WE’s logo alongside Walgreens’ atop a display rack featuring Hershey’s products. Kerr also criticized ME to WE’s partnership with Unilever, which was likewise accused of having purchased palm oil produced by children.

Me to We runs volunteer trips to a selection of developing countries where We Charity is active, including: Ecuador, India and Kenya. Trip participants help construct schools or wells.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/04/travel/teen-empathy-tours.html|title=5 Summer Programs for Teens That Teach Empathy Through Community Service|last=Koch|first=Amy Tara|date=2018-07-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/what-does-we-charity-actually-do/|title=What Does WE Charity Actually Do?|last=Brown|first=Jesse|date=2020-08-03|work=Canadaland|access-date=2020-08-03|language=en-US}}

Some of the organization’s celebrity ambassadors have taken trips with Me to We, including Olivia Holt,{{Cite web|url=https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/olivia-holt-week-kenya-changed-her-life|title=Olivia Holt on the Week in Kenya That Changed Her Life|website=InStyle.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-16}} Drew Scott, Kardinal Offishall, and Jordan Fisher.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/celebrities-humbled-by-african-trips/article36397646/|title=Celebrities humbled by African trips|access-date=2019-06-16}}

Me to We Artisans was founded in 2009 by CEO Roxanne Joyal.{{Cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/life/fashion-beauty/traditional-maasai-bead-designs-from-me-to-we-artisans-inspires-style-and-social-responsibility|title=Me to We Artisans inspires style and social responsibility {{!}} National Post|last=Fashion|date=2013-04-20|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-06-16}}

Women employed by Me to We Artisans are paid more than they normally make for their products, and are also provided with training on financial literacy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fossil-me-to-we-collection-collaboration-bracelets-necklaces-bag-charms|title=This New Fossil Collection Helps You Empower Women Around The World|website=Teen Vogue|date=4 April 2016 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-21}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/902072925 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/889493927 cite #16 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}} As a result, many are able to invest part of their income in small businesses and the education of their children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadianliving.com/life-and-relationships/community-and-current-events/article/how-fair-trade-jewellery-is-changing-the-lives-of-kenyan-women|title=How fair trade jewellery is changing the lives of Kenyan women|last=Davis|first=Heather Greenwood|website=Canadian Living|date=22 May 2014 |access-date=2019-01-21}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/902072925 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/889493927 cite #17 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}

YouTube personality Lilly Singh designed and promoted a line of beaded bracelets called "#GirlLove Rafikis", as part of her campaign to end "girl on girl hate."{{Cite web|url=https://techvibes.com/2018/11/07/the-lilly-singh-empire-girllove-14-million-subs-toothbrushes|title=The Lilly Singh Empire: #GirlLove, 14 Million Subs, & Toothbrushes|website=Techvibes|date=7 November 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-16}}

{{Main|We Charity controversy}}

In 2020, the company was criticized after it was announced that We Charity would be in charge of distributing $900 million in federal student grants provided by the government of Canada. This proposal came under fire after CBC reported that Me to We{{Cite web|title=Trudeau Family Paid Hundreds Of Thousands By WE Organization|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/trudeau-family-paid-by-we-organization/|access-date=2020-07-14|website=canadalandshow.com|date=9 July 2020 }} had paid members of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's family for speaking engagements, raising a potential conflict of interest as Trudeau had pushed for the grant program to go ahead. The program was ended before it began, and Trudeau issued an apology for not recusing himself.{{Cite web|last=Aiello|first=Rachel|date=2020-07-13|title=PM says he 'made a mistake' in not recusing himself from We Charity student grant decision|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/pm-says-he-made-a-mistake-in-not-recusing-himself-from-we-charity-student-grant-decision-1.5021910|access-date=2020-07-13|website=CTVNews|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=WE Charity tries to 'set record straight' over contract in full-page newspaper ads|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7169416/we-charity-trudeau-advertisement/|access-date=2020-07-13|website=Global News|language=en}} We Charity's involvement in the grant program was also criticized by several Canadian non-profits and charities.{{Cite news|last=Gollom|first=Mark|date=July 3, 2020|title=Doubt cast over Trudeau's assertion that only WE Charity can run $900M student grant program|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-we-charity-volunteer-1.5635501}}

Based on the Kielburger brothers' testimony at the House of Commons finance committee, over $500,000 were paid by the WE organization to Justin Trudeau's mother, brother and wife.{{Cite web|title=Ethics commissioner expands probe of Bill Morneau on eve of Trudeau's WE testimony|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/mps-on-ethics-committee-to-meet-amid-parliamentary-probe-of-we-agreement|access-date=2020-07-30|website=Windsor Star|language=en-CA}} Invited by Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis to address the misconception about the whole story, Craig Kielburger also defended WE Charity and its programs.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-28|title=Affaire UNIS: les frères Kielburger se font malmener par l'opposition en comité|url=https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2020-07-28/affaire-unis-les-freres-kielburger-se-font-malmener-par-l-opposition-en-comite.php|access-date=2020-07-30|website=La Presse|language=fr |last1=Marquis |first1=Mélanie }}

Concerns have been raised about the blurred lines between We Charity and Me to We.{{Cite news|last=Adeogun|first=Olusola|title=The White Saviors|work=CanadaLand|url=https://www.canadaland.com/shows/the-white-saviors/}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/82-we-charity|title=WE Charity|website=charityintelligence.ca|access-date=2020-07-31}} These blurred lines include both organizations having the same Chief Financial Officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/whats-the-deal-with-we-charitys-accounting-department/|title=What's The Deal With WE Charity's Accounting Department?|website=canadalandshow.com |date=15 July 2020 |access-date=2020-07-31}} According to Charity Intelligence, a Canadian registered charity that assesses over 750 Canadian charities, in 2019 We Charity transferred 8% of its revenue to Me to We, a magnitude of revenue transferred from a charity to a related for-profit company that Charity Intelligence's general manager described as "unique" among charities.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-july-13-2020-1.5647242|title=The Current for July 13, 2020|website=cbc.ca |access-date=2020-07-31}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadalandshow.com/we-charity-was-in-financial-trouble-before-covid-says-charity-watchdog/|title=WE Charity Moved Millions To Private Kielburger Company|website=canadalandshow.com |date=18 July 2020 |access-date=2020-07-31}} Charity Intelligence also noted that, as a for profit company privately owned by the Kielburgers, Me to We is not bound by disclosure requirements.

According to Buy Social Canada, a certifying organization, Me to We is the only for-profit company that they are aware of, which is connected to a Canadian charity, but where the charity does not own the for-profit company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/longforms/we-charity-kielburgers-scandal/|title=The rise and fall of WE |date=9 September 2020 |access-date=2020-09-09}} Consequently, We Charity is not guaranteed to benefit from profits made by Me to We, despite the close ties between these two organizations.

In response, We Charity claimed that over a 5-year period preceding 2020, Me to We contributed a net of $1.3 million more than it received from We Charity.

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Me to We}}

• {{Official website|http://www.metowe.com}}

Category:Organizations based in Toronto

Category:WE Charity

Category:B Lab-certified corporations