Nau Inc., the technical and lifestyle outdoor apparel company, has
partnered with four national and global nonprofit organizations in
addition to six regional organizations in each of the four cities where
its stores are located: Boulder, Colo; Portland, Ore; Chicago, Ill; and
Bellevue, Wash. The move is part of a corporate strategy to give back
to national, global, and regional nonprofit organizations as designated
by their customers.

Since opening for business in March 2007, Nau's innovative business
model has enabled customers to select from ten nonprofit organizations
that are working to make a positive social or environmental impact, by
directing donations of 5 percent of their purchase price.

The global organizations, termed “Partners for Change” include
Conservation International, Heifer International, Mercy Corps and
Kiva.org. This month the Partners for Change organizations will receive
a portion of the more than $60,000 of donations – which will be
distributed to each based on allocations made by customers at the time
of purchase.

In a statement, Nau said this distribution of donations marks “the
first step of many towards making a long term impact,” and it plans to
further broaden these customer-directed investments in the months and
years to come.

“We embarked on this journey with the understanding that we did not
deserve to be in business unless we were contributing not only to our
bottom line, but to the communities in which we operate and the world
at large,” said Chris Van Dyke, Nau President and CEO. “This is an
exciting time for our collective group as our dreams are really
starting to become a reality.”

“Nau is a leading example of a new kind of business movement,” said
Andrew Winston, co-author of Green to Gold. “The 5% commitment is
unprecedented for a profit-driven enterprise. Through their efforts to
incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their strategy, they
are trying to change the way business is done…all while achieving
both environmental and business success.”

Nau said that by allowing their customers to choose which organization
receives Nau's 5 percent donation, it hopes to encourage future
shopping patterns that take into account more conscious decisions to
give back.

“Through our Partners for Change program, we give people a moment at
the point of sale to think about and tell us what they really care
about,” says Jil Zilligen, VP of Sustainable Business Practices at Nau.
“By extension, we hope they will consider some larger questions as well
– such as how purchasing decisions impact communities and the role of
companies in society.”

The Nau 5% Partners for Change program stems directly from the
company's mission to “do well by doing good” and Nau said the overall
success of the program to date begs the question, what if all companies
adopted this philosophy?

Kiva.org is a great example of a partner creating lasting social change.

“With the purchase of two jackets at Nau, approximately 25 dollars can
be designated by a customer at point of sale to benefit Kiva.org.
Through the Nau giving program, this donation could help to enable a
woman in Afghanistan to borrow $175 to purchase a sewing machine,
building a business which will pay for her children's school fees,”
said Fiona Ramsey, Director of Public Relations for Kiva.org. “Our hope
is that more companies will follow suit with similar giving models in
an effort to engage customers not only about their values but also to
understand the impact of their purchases.”