Give Something Back receives awards, introduces My Green GSB

Give Something Back, an independent office supplier based in Oakland, received the Community Change and Impact in Philanthropy and the Community Commitment awards at the July 17 Corporate Philanthropy Summit in San Francisco. Give Something Back (GSB) was founded by Sean Marx and Mike Hannigan in 1991 with the philanthropic mission of donating a portion of its profits to charitable causes.

So far, GSB has donated more than half of its profits to community groups in education, health care, arts and culture, and the environment; an accomplishment that allowed the small company to compete with other well-established businesses dedicated to giving back such as Kimpton Hotels, Cisco Systems and Charles Schwab.

GSB’s business has a new feature on its Web site that extends its socially responsible practices to include the promotion of environmentally preferable office supplies. As a business-to-business organization, GSB acknowledges the importance of a smooth and efficient buying experience; My Green GSB addresses this by integrating greener alternatives into the checkout procedure. “When ordering a conventional product, there is an opportunity every time to select the greener option, right at the point of sale,” says co-founder Mike Hannigan.

Some of the more than 4,000 products My Green GSB offers include 100 percent post-consumer paper stock, post-consumer waste binders, environmentally preferable cleaning products, biodegradable trash bags, as well as Fair Trade items.

After 17 years of business, GSB recently hired a full-time Sustainability Director who has the task of moving GSB’s business practices towards alternative energy sources and efficiency, as well as developing a market for "green" products offered by the company.

Mike Hannigan will be the guest speaker at San Fransico's EcoTuesday event on July 22, where he will discuss the importance of maintaining and supporting socially responsible and sustainable business practices during these economic times.