Cranston-based jewelry brand ALEX AND ANI has announced that it has raised over $52 million for more than 50 nonprofit partners and charities, in part through its Charity By Design initiatives.
The program has partnered with a host of different charities, like Rhode Island's Edesia Nutrition, Make a Wish, UNICEF, ASPCA and more, to together design a unique piece of jewelry. Then, the company donates 20 percent of the proceeds from that jewelry to the charity it represents. These efforts raised have $41.3 million since 2011.
The impact of the donations have been measured in more than just money. In fact, ALEX AND ANI highlighted how the funds have made a tangible effort through the charities it helped support. Thanks to these donations, "more than 11,000 children [were] fed for an entire school year from the sales of product benefitting Blessings in a Backpack," a release states. "More than 55,400 survivors of domestic violence [were] impacted through sales of products benefitting the National Network to End Domestic Violence." Additionally, the funds allowed for more than 1.8 million days of medicine for HIV/AIDS patients thanks to a (RED) partnership, among other milestones.
“To call our relationship with ALEX AND ANI a partnership is a misrepresentation,” said Denis Murphy, founder of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. It's a nonprofit that uses community programs to enrich the lives of children with cancer, and one that has benefited from its work with the company; more than 750 children involved with Friends of Jacklyn have been able to find athletic teams across the U.S. as a result of the company's donations.
Carolyn Rafaelian also weighed in on the announcement. “There is a universal law, the more you have, the more you have to give, and when the right intention is set, there is nothing more powerful on Earth than human connection," she said.
“ALEX AND ANI has changed the lives of countless families through their unmatched generosity and commitment to making the world an all-around better place. While they say our relationship 'starts with a piece of wire,' for us each bracelet becomes an instrument of change and a vehicle of awareness," Murphy continued. "Their impact on our pediatric cancer community is immeasurable. ALEX AND ANI is, and will forever be, a part of our family."
The company isn't just focused on driving change through the better via charity; it's also proved itself to be a viable player in both the local and international business community. The company’s revenue has climbed from $5 million in 2010 to reportedly over $500 million in 2016, with its founder, CEO and creative officer Carolyn Rafaelian making Forbes list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women at No. 18. The company is worth an estimated. $1.2 billion.
