How Rituals is Making Sustainable Impact with Profit Pledge

Businesses are increasingly expected to prioritise both profit and purpose.

Niki Schilling is the Executive Director Impact at Rituals, responsible for driving the brand’s mission to become an impact brand. 

Niki leads Rituals’ journey in rethinking how business is done, working to position it as a force for good.

“I strongly believe that as a business, we have a responsibility — not only to operate sustainably but also to use our business as a force for good,” she says.

This ethos not only drives Niki’s role but inspired the Profit Pledge — a bold commitment to contribute 10% of its previous year’s net profits to organisations supporting the wellbeing of people and the planet.

As well as this, Niki established the sustainability vision for Rituals, securing its B Corp certification. 

“As a B Corp Beauty Coalition member, I advocate for a more sustainable and inclusive future across industries, helping position Rituals as a leader in combining sustainability with luxury in the beauty industry,” she adds.

Here, Niki delves into Rituals’ Profit Pledge and the impact it is making.

Why has Rituals chosen to launch Profit Pledge?

Rituals was born out of the belief that businesses can be a force for good. 

We create beautiful, innovative products that help people find happiness in the smallest of things and we believe in taking responsibility for the wellbeing of the planet as well as people.

Every business has a stake in the wellbeing of people and planet. 

We all rely on the stability created by healthy societies and thriving ecosystems, but this is threatened by two big issues: the destruction of nature and the wellbeing of future generations.

We created our Profit Pledge because we wanted to re-think the way we do business to ensure we not only reduce our environmental footprint but also contribute positively to the world. 

From this year, we have committed to spending 10% of our net profit of the previous year — meaning in 2025, we are committed to use 10% of our 2024 net profit to support causes and initiatives that improve the wellbeing of people and planet.

Through Profit Pledge, we want to start a ripple of systemic change across the industry, inspiring businesses on a mission to better the balance in the world.

What changes have Rituals had to make for Profit Pledge?

Profit Pledge goes beyond money. We aim to act as a long-term partner, rather than a donor.  That shift in attitude is not necessarily an easy change to make. 

To do it at Rituals, we changed our governance and ways of working to make sure Profit Pledge will be a success and we’ll be reporting progress to hold ourselves accountable.

In practice, this means we are a co-founder or founding partner of the projects we support, providing not only funding but also our resources and expertise. 

The way we set up Profit Pledge ensures close collaboration with our partners, involving many different teams across various projects. 

We have built this time commitment into the business, holding monthly progress meetings and sharing knowledge to stay aligned.

As a Certified B Corp, we understand that creating impact is a continuous journey. 

We are constantly rethinking how we do business and how we can support causes that create a positive impact.

What projects will Rituals be supporting and why were they chosen?

We have already committed to six projects for the first year of Profit Pledge, selected for their potential long-term impact — with more to come:

• Sacred Forests: We are a Founding Partner of Sacred Forests, working with the Indigenous Arhuaco community in Colombia to protect 200,000 hectares of critical rainforest.
  A big part of our funding goes towards buying back their Indigenous land, ensuring they can continue to protect it as they have done for thousands of years.
• Super Chill: We co-founded and are exclusive sponsors of Super Chill, an app to help young children develop mental resilience through playful exercises.
  We have a goal to help 10 million children and give six million caregivers in Europe the tools they need to nurture their children’s mental wellbeing.
• Pristine Seas and Blue Marine Foundation: These are recent partnerships with two organisations working to preserve, protect and conserve the world’s oceans through establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
• Tiny Miracles: In 2011, we became the Founding Partner of Tiny Miracles, an organisation providing life-changing income, healthcare and education for communities in Mumbai.
  We continue to support their Foundation through Profit Pledge. 
• War Child: In 2023 we worked with War Child to help around 3,125 children affected by conflict.

For each partnership, we conduct thorough due diligence, including scientific assessments and audits to ensure meaningful impact, and we work closely with partners to regularly assess effectiveness.

We visit all the Profit Pledge organisations personally ahead of partnering together. 

For example, with Sacred Forests, we met with the Arhuaco Indigenous community and their spiritual leaders in Colombia. 

Working on creating meaningful relationships between all parties really matters when issues, like the protection of indigenous lands or children’s mental health, are so important to those involved. 

How can businesses get the best results from corporate giving?

Impact comes from collaborations which share values and work both ways. 

We have learnt first-hand that a business will have the most impact if it works alongside partners that are close to its purpose and align with its DNA. 

We also know that businesses need to be there to listen and learn, offering support where it’s needed rather than trying to dictate what should happen.

In our experience, getting employees involved in meaningful projects is essential. 

For example, before we launched Profit Pledge, we introduced Impact days. 

This initiative gives our employees the opportunity to volunteer with local NGOs.

Through their efforts, they could spread kindness and make a difference in the community, which in turn boosted their own wellbeing, which is what we’re all about at Rituals.

Our employees take great pride in being part of Profit Pledge.

They can see the difference their contributions make and many are eager for us to continue building on this positive impact. 

Witnessing the dedication and passion our employees bring to these initiatives is rewarding for everyone.

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