Philanthropy
EMPOWERMENT FUND & ADVOCACY
We are committed to leveraging our influence and platform to champion transformative change in our society through our Empowerment Fund, purpose-driven products, corporate giving, and advocacy.
COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING WOMEN AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
Our philanthropic goal of contributing $5M USD by 2030 to organizations we care about is one we hold close to our hearts. That’s why we've worked hard to develop the partnerships, methodology, and systems to keep us on track toward reaching our target.
Our philanthropy revolves around three focus areas: the Mejuri Empowerment Fund, purpose-driven products, and our corporate giving. We recognize that contributing to the greater good goes beyond monetary support. That’s why we are committed to leveraging our influence and platform to champion transformative change in our society—this means meaningfully engaging with our partners and communities, learning how we can best collaborate, support, and use our platform to educate for change.
MEJURI EMPOWERMENT FUND
The Empowerment Fund is the living embodiment of our commitment to supporting women and underrepresented people in our communities. Through collaborations, partnerships, donations, scholarships, and bursaries, the Empowerment Fund exists to help talented individuals access critical education, upskilling, and advocacy to create lasting change in their lives, communities, and our industry.
As Part of Our 2030 Goals, We Have Committed To Giving
$0
USD by 2030
Since 2020 we’ve donated
$0
USD in scholarships and advocacy partnerships across the US, Canada, and our supply chain.
Since its start in 2020, the Empowerment Fund has contributed over $1M USD through bursaries, scholarships, and advocacy donations. We’re prioritizing programs, partners, and initiatives that create and expand formal and informal educational and skill-building opportunities that remove barriers to advancement, helping individuals lead on their terms.
In 2024, we continued to support a range of organizations, including Indspire, Design Thinking Africa, United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and WIE Suite.
DESIGN THINKING AFRICA
Our partnership with Design Thinking Africa, founded in 2023 by Zambian-born Danish jewelry designer Patricia Mweene, helps women in Ndola gain gemstone cutting and polishing skills. This ensures that the value-added process of finishing Zambian gemstones stays within the local community, reducing reliance on outsourcing to other countries and creating sustainable job opportunities for women.
It’s been a big year for the program. With Mejuri’s support, Design Thinking Africa welcomed a new cohort of ten women to its training program, which has now moved to the Technical & Vocational Teacher College (TVTC) in Luanshya, Zambia. This relocation increases security and gives students access to additional disciplines, including on-campus goldsmith training. The program is seeking accreditation as part of a broader EU and ILO initiative to strengthen local vocational training and offer nationally recognized qualifications, empower women artisans, and help build Zambia’s jewelry and gemstone industry by keeping value-added skills in the country.
And the impact of last year’s program continues to be felt with two students from the 2023 cohort, Esnart and Beauty, staying on as teachers and mentors for the new cohort.
“What we are doing has never been done before. The impact of Mejuri’s Empowerment Fund’s continued support is going beyond the wildest imagination of the goals that we originally set.”
— Patricia Mweene
10 Zambian Women received polishing scholarships through our partnership with Design Thinking Africa.
The long-term goal of our partnership with Design Think Africa is to upskill women in Zambia so they can promote local economic development by directly supplying Zambian mined and polished stones to jewelers.
Supporting the Next Gen Through the Design Excellence Award
We were proud to introduce the Design Excellence Award in 2024 as an expansion of our commitment to empowering the next generation of talent. We’re partnering with art schools in Canada, the US, and the UK to provide scholarships and bursaries to individuals studying jewelry design and craft. This year, we distributed a total of $70,000 to seven schools, including California College of the Arts, Central Saint Martins, George Brown College, Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, Ontario College of Art and Design University, and Vancouver Community College.
Products With Purpose
Products that express your taste, champion your values, and act as tools that give back to our communities—now that’s what we call a triple threat.
Here are some joint initiatives we’ve undertaken this past year for products with purpose:
Giving Tuesday: We raised $30,000 through product sales to expand our Design Excellence Award to extend the program to two additional schools.
Jenna Lyons Collection: Since launching Jenna Lyons collection in 2022 for International Women’s Day, Mejuri has donated $5 USD from each piece sold to organisations the Mejuri Empowerment Fund supports.
Mejuri Sweatshirt: All proceeds from our members-only sweater, made in Canada from recycled cotton and polyester, go to CARE’s SHE SOARS—a program that helps young women make impactful investments in themselves and their futures. A program that empowers young women to invest in themselves and their futures, aiming to improve access to health and human rights in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia through skill-building and advocacy.