People, Not Profits. – It started as an idea to focus on outcomes which benefited people, rather than profits, for everyday decision making, whether it be at your job, school, or just in the community. The idea was fairly simple, instead of weighing decisions in life on their financial outcomes, we’d think about people instead. Decisions about simple, everyday things were contextualized to think about their outcomes and make the choices based on whenever or not it favored a positive outcome for people – pretty simple to understand.
We realized, that when everyday decisions are made with this frame of reference to rely upon, not only were the decisions focused on people, but they were typically way more sustainable for everyone. When we connect with the people around us we create stronger, more resilient communities – and that alone can change the world.
So, we started our efforts by helping to reiterate the mantra whenever possible, and we realized that as we did so did other people. By a few months into the practice of just saying the words “People, Not Profits.” we found other people saying them and writing them down on everything from stickers to posters, to banners. The idea took flight and since 2004, has contributed to some of the most amazing communities coming together to embrace the words and spread the message.
When words are used in meaningful ways, we can change the world. We believe that “People, Not Profits.” makes a lot of since in our current age where the greed of a few has led to the disparities of many across the globe. The complexity of the issues we face on a broad scale all seem to hinge on one critical point, and in addressing the fact that people are making a lot of terrible decisions by not thinking about people, and rather focusing on profits, we think that words which remind the next generations to think about their actions with a frame of mind which values people first is the correct way to move forward.
Since 2004, we have inspired companies and people alike to adopt our slogan to inspire and guide their decisions, and in that time we have seen the transformative power our simple work has by giving people simple ideas to frame their decisions. Just by saying or writing the words, we can inspire others to break free from the mindset where profits drive their motives, and in doing so not only is the rest of the world changed but so too are those who learn to think differently, with empathy for other people.
You can contribute to our campaign by taking a photo with a sign which reads, “People, Not Profits.” or by simply using the words in your everyday life to inspire others. And, for those people who may have thought less about people in the past and a bit more about profits, you can make a sustainable monthly donation which helps us buy advertising space to promote our message of “People, Not Profits.”, as well as provide basic financing for a small team of awesome individuals who have been working on this idea for decades.