FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FAIR ANITA

Learn more about our fair trade social enterprise. Browse through our frequently asked questions, and be sure to reach out if you have a question of your own!

What is a social enterprise?

Via Wikipedia (yeah, who doesn't love Wikipedia!?), a social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being, rather than maximizing profits for external shareholders. 

Basically, we're a do-good business.

What is your mission?

Fair Anita is a social enterprise with the mission to invest in women around the world. We partner with about 8,000 talented female artisans in 9 countries who make our products and generally earn 3x the minimum wage. Learn more about our mission here. 

Who is Anita?

We're proud to be named after an inspirational social worker in Chimbote, Peru, one of the largest poorest cities in the world.  Anita is a champion for women and children, and she's taught us how economic empowerment can transform communities.  Learn more about Anita here. 

Is Fair Anita a nonprofit or for profit organization?

Fair Anita is a mission-based, for-profit organization: a Public Benefit Corporation.  This means that our mission of empowering female entrepreneurs is at the heart of everything we do. Our for-profit structure allows us to have flexibility when working with entrepreneurs around the world. It also permits us to scale more quickly, meaning more jobs for women who are making the fair trade products around the world.  We incorporated as a Minnesota Public Benefit Corporation on January 2, 2015 with the help of Fredrikson & Byron. Because of this, our mission is legally written into our incorporation documents, which is a great thing!  This provides protection to our fair trade artisans, ensuring that they'll receive fair trade wages no matter what's happening with the company, and it provides accountability to our customers and community. Want to know more about this decision? Read our blog post here.

How much money from my purchase supports your partners?

A whole lot of it. The exact amount differs by product and by country collection, though it's almost always between 30-60%. We pay fair prices (generally 3x minimum wage) to the female artisans who create the fair trade product, which sets the baseline for the cost.  The additional cost pays for materials, transportation, customs, website expenses, wholesale partnerships, and paying our wonderful Fair Anita team, which makes this a sustainable income source for women around the world. We end up donating a lot of fair trade product to nonprofit organizations that support female empowerment, too. We're happy to be transparent regarding cost-- visit our Artisans page to learn more about artisan payment by country location or read this blog post for an example.

How does this product invest women?

Each piece is made in 1 of 9 countries, where often times women have limited job opportunities. Most groups we work with are organized by leaders in the country they are located in. Through building artisan groups, our artisan partners have access to sustainable income, as well as health insurance and educational scholarships. Economic independence is key to women's empowerment, especially as many of our artisan partners have histories of domestic abuse. When women earn a steady income, they are less dependent on their partner and can more easily support themselves and their children, or they are more respected in their homes, so abuse levels go down.

Is Fair Anita fair trade certified?

We are proud members of the Fair Trade Federation, which means we've been verified by an outside organization to fully practice all fair trade principles. You can learn more about this verification here, and learn about Fair Anita's fair trade impact here. 

I know a great women's group in another country. Will you sell their products? 

At this time, we're trying to really build up the 19 groups we're working with. Part of fair trade is long-term relationships, so we want to make sure we can first sustain fair trade jobs with the women we're already working with before expanding to other areas.  

How long does shipping take?

We try to be speedy fast! Orders ship in 1-3 days from our warehouse, and the rest is up to the post office.  You'll receive a tracking number, so feel free to check on their progress.  For international customers, please allow more time; while we will ship it quickly, the packages can sometimes get stuck in customs, which is outside of our control.  We do our best to get you your purchase in a timely manner!

How do I make a return?

We want you to LOVE your product, so if you're not happy with it for any reason, please email us at info@fairanita.com, and we will get you return shipment information.  Returns are accepted up to 30 days after receiving your product(s).  If your product arrives damaged, please let us know ASAP so we can get you a replacement. 

Where can I see Fair Anita products in person?

Our products are available in stores, at pop-ups, and at tradeshows. Check out our events page to check out our products in person.

How do I clean my jewelry?

Great question! We wrote a blog post on that topic here.

How do I set up a wholesale account?

We're always looking for amazing stores who are ready to make a difference through retail.  Please "log in" at fairanita.com and "create account," then fill out our Wholesale Request form.  We will change your account to wholesale on the backend, and you'll be ready to shop!  We'll send you our wholesale terms and lots of great information (best sellers, artisan pictures/stories, etc), so you're ready to best serve your customers. 

Are you hiring?

We wish! We're a little team of 5 full-timers at the moment, but we hope to expand to a point where can provide jobs for awesome women in the US who align with our mission.  Check our Get Involved page for most up-to-date info on joining our team as a staff member, volunteer, or intern.

What other questions do you have?  We're happy to answer them!

Call us, e-mail us or connect with us on social media:

• Email: info@fairanita.com
• Phone: 612-524-9570
  
• Facebook: facebook.com/shopfairanita
• Instagram: @fair.anita
• Twitter: @fair_anita