NGOJobs hat sich mit den MacherInnen der Fairmittlerei getroffen, die frei nach dem Motto „Verwenden statt Verschwenden“ Unternehmensspenden an Non Profits vermitteln. In unserem Interview stand uns die kürzlich gegründete NGO Rede und Antwort.
What exactly is the Fairmittlerei about?
Use instead of waste! When it comes to food, awareness of this philosophy is already quite widespread among the population. But how many tons of new non-food products are destroyed unnecessarily because they can no longer be sold regularly? Whether it's incorrectly printed packaging or a discontinued product range - there are many reasons for the destruction.
This is where Fairmittlerei comes in, brokering usable non-food donations from producers and retailers to non-profit organizations (NPOs). Logistical and financial challenges are currently the biggest hurdles for producers, retailers and NPOs to donate these products directly. Fairmittlerei makes it easier for both sides to use their available resources sensibly. A win-win situation:
- NPOs can purchase the material goods they need at well below the usual market price. They can use the money saved in this way for their social purposes.
- Producers and retailers reduce their costs for storing and, if necessary, destroying material goods and also assume social responsibility for society.
- This contributes to ecological sustainability by reducing the senseless destruction of material goods that are still usable.
How did you come up with the idea of founding an association?
In the summer of 2015, Fairmittlerei chairman Michael K. Reiter came across a similar initiative in Germany, where the idea was already being successfully implemented. And it has stayed with him ever since! He knows the situation on the industry side from his own professional experience and after a research it was clear: there is no systematic donation mediation to NGOs in Austria... yet! After Michael brought three team members on board, the association was officially founded in summer 2016. Not only should NGOs be able to save money on the cost side, the environmental aspect also plays a role: usable products that are no longer (or can no longer be) sold and would be unnecessarily destroyed can still be used for social purposes!
Who are the people behind Fairmittlerei?
Was die vier Gründer abgesehen von der Begeisterung für die Idee verbindet, ist das gleiche Studium an der FH Salzburg in Kuchl. „Design- und Produktmanagement“ hat sich bereits als gute Schmiede für viele Selbstständige und GründerInnen bewiesen, und hat auch dazu geführt, dass sich die Wege der Fairmittlerei-Gründungsmitglieder kreuzen. Beruflich haben sich die vier jedoch recht unterschiedlich entwickelt und bringen so auch verschiedene wichtige Kompetenzen ein: Schriftführerin Sabine Brunmair ihr Marketing- und Kommunikations-Know-How (ua. bei einer Tochterorganisation der Caritas Wien); Manfred Hlina (Stv. Obmann) seine Designkompetenzen und Erfahrung als FH-Lektor; Kassier Michael Gugenberger seine E-Commerce Expertise (ua. bei AUA und einem großen Amazon Onlinehändler in Amsterdam); Michael Reiter (Obmann) kennt sowohl Industrieseite (Henkel CEE GmbH, Haas Food Equipment) als auch NGO-Seite durch seine Tätigkeit bei Goodball und AMINA.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the friends of Fairmittlerei who volunteer their time and effort in various areas! And thanks to NGOjobs, the team has recently been strengthened with additional eager supporters!
What specific offer can you make to NGOs? Which industrial donations have you already been able to arrange?
Specifically, NGOs can order available (non-food) products from us at a fraction of the market price in quantities to suit their needs! The focus is on everyday products such as personal hygiene, detergents and cleaning agents.
We accept product donations in larger quantities from industry & trade, store them and include them in our price list. NGOs can then order them from us. Unfortunately, we incur costs for storage, order picking and order processing, which we have to cover with a small agency fee. Nevertheless, the cost savings for NGOs are up to 90% compared to the normal retail price. The product range can vary depending on the product donations from industry and trade, which we try to balance out through our network. At the same time, we are working on successively expanding our product range.
At www.facebook.com/diefairmittlerei and www.diefairmittlerei.at for more information. For more information and all the latest news, simply send us an email to office@diefairmittlerei.at!
Where do you see yourselves in 1-2 years?
We still have a lot planned! We are very excited about the results of a research project with the Austrian Institute of Ecology. We want to use this to show the public for the first time the potential for waste savings in the non-food sector! We also aim to expand our network of both donors and customers throughout Austria in order to achieve both an attractive, broad product range and a high stock turnover. We want to be the first point of contact on both sides when there are surpluses and demand for non-food products. Because every fair trade product is a win-win situation for NGOs, our environment and the industry! And in 20 years' time, we would like to look back as proudly as one of our role models does at the moment: In Kind Direct has brokered a total of around GBP 165 million (approx. € 194 million) worth of material goods in the UK under the patronage of the Royal Family!
The interview was conducted by Ferdinand Lischka with Fairmittlerei.
