01/22/2024

This Texas-based Company Has an Unusual Philanthropy Strategy

Their customers love it

Shannon McLinden founded FarmHouse Fresh cosmetics in 2005 with a sea-salt scrub to remedy dry feet that she made at home on her McKinney, Texas farm. The scrub wound up on Oprah’s “O List” and quickly gained popularity. After 20 years in business, the brand has scaled to $50 million in 2023 retail sales across its storefronts and wholesale channels, which include spas, hotels, and salons. And its product lineup has grown to over 200 natural and certified organic skincare goods-many of which contain ingredients grown at McLinden’s farm.

The farm, which doubles as FarmHouse Fresh’s headquarters, is also home to more than 45 horses, donkeys, ponies, goats, and sheep-all of which have been rescued from slaughter. The FarmHouse Fresh Animal Sanctuary is part of FarmHouse Fresh's philanthropic mission to donate 10 percent of its profits to rescuing animals.

Last year, in 2023, that amounted to nearly $1 million, $800,000 of which McLinden says came from product purchases. Part of those contributions go to keeping the Sanctuary running and stocked with essentials hay and grain, and towards covering medical expenses and transportation. The rest helps fund rescue organizations' efforts, which include missions like rehoming an elephant from a dilapidated zoo in Puerto Rico to an animal sanctuary in Georgia.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.