Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eliza Friedman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Eliza, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I have always enjoyed supporting meaningful causes and attending fundraising events. While I was browsing through the auction, I often saw a lot of things that would appeal to men and not a lot offered for women. Women love to shop, more so, knowing that we support a wonderful cause.
I knew then and there that I could bring something unique, that can become mainstream for the nonprofit community, which would help them add glamour to their auction and also raise significant funds! So, I started Jewels With A Purpose, Inc. in 2005 and married my passion for helping others, while utilizing my experience in design and fashion.
Quickly, our very unique concept spread wings and more and more organizations were interested in our exclusive packages. We now offer jewelry and handbags for silent auctions and a fun Jewelry Pull to over 1000 auctions around the United States! Recently we opened a branch in London, United Kingdom (and soon in Canada) and we are so excited to become a global brand!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Jewels With A Purpose provides fine quality 925 sterling silver jewelry and handbags directly to non-profit organizations, to be used as auction packages during their annual fundraisers, such as galas and luncheons. The mainstream price point of $75-$200 makes it a no-brainer for the guests to engage in the bidding process. We provide upfront: detailed descriptions, market value, opening bids, bid increments, along with stunning photos, making it simple for the auction committee to copy/paste onto the auction platform. Then we ship the items 10 days prior to the event, in our stunning jewelry boxes, which are designed in such a clever way, to display within minutes! After the auction concludes, we send an invoice for the “wholesale cost to nonprofit” for the items that receive bids. If anything remains unsold, they simply get shipped back to us. We bear all the risk. We ship the packages to the nonprofits on a consignment basis, they display them at their event and they keep all the profits! The simplicity of our offer and the zero-risk factor, encourages more and more nonprofits to reach out to us, especially in today’s environment, where donations are more difficult to obtain.
Our collections are inspired by the classics. We refresh the designs twice a year, we keep up with what’s trending and we make sure they appeal to all guests. The designs are stunning and exclusive to the fundraising community, meaning that none of our items can be acquired in retail stores or online, unless they are part of a fundraising benefit. They can only be won at silent auctions and the profits go to beautiful causes that request our packages. The fundraising community greatly respects us for this commitment and the guests admire our integrity and hard work.
The very appealing packaging is a tangerine and fuchsia color, uniquely engraved in gold foil with the words “generosity, philanthropy and compassion” brings an instant elegance and spices up any auction! Our unique service and products have become so popular, that our company has grown nearly 10 times in the last 4 years! It is a significant time in our business and we enjoy having several requests daily. This motivates us and we work diligently, to make sure we never have to say “no” to anyone who needs our support.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients has been word of mouth referrals. We have enjoyed tremendous growth without a drop of advertising, which is amazing! We are very grateful and we appreciate all the referrals we receive from the community. We follow up with every single one and we ask questions, so we offer packages based on their fundraising goal, attendance and event needs.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Our hard work for almost two decades is paying off big time. The integrity we treat our clients with and the high-quality products we offer to the fundraising community, I think that speaks louder than words! In our industry, there is a level of gratification, knowing that each day we get to do something meaningful, helping those in need and contributing to beautiful causes. It is rewarding and I am very grateful to have found passion in my work. I am very proud and grateful for the tremendous success and I look forward to supporting new organizations, both in the United States and globally.
Contact Info:
- Website: jewelswithapurpose.com
- Instagram: @jewelswithapurpose
- Facebook: jewelswithapurposeSD