Please note: this policy was active between April 2021 and March 2022 before being replaced with my commitment to give back to Project Seagrass by donating 1% of cleared payments. As such, I no longer adopt marine animals on behalf of my clients.
Why I’ll adopt a marine animal if I work with you
As a freelance writer and communications consultant working with charities and for-purpose businesses, it’s important to me that my business also has a positive impact. That’s why I’m excited to announce a new policy, effective as of April 2021: for each new organisation I work with, I will celebrate by adopting a marine animal on their behalf in the form of a charity donation.
“Why marine animals?” you might ask. As you might know, I’ve been a diver for over 12 years and I’m passionate about protecting our oceans. That’s why marine conservation and sustainability is at the heart of what I do as a freelancer. I’m always trying to find ways of improving my positive impact on our ocean – both personally and through my business. In addition to working with conservation charities, B Corps and mission-driven organisations to help them protect our planet, this policy is another way I will give back.
As an avid ocean-lover, choosing which marine animal to adopt was a challenge because I love them all (well, maybe not clownfish but that’s a story for another day!). But, after much deliberating, I’ve narrowed it down to my favourite ocean giants
My chosen marine animals are:
There’s a bit of a story behind why each of these gentle giants is so close to my heart. If you want to find out more, check out my upcoming blog posts (coming soon!). These will explain why I’ve chosen each animal and which charity will be supported by the donation. To make it as fair as possible, I will alternate which animal I adopt. That said, if you’re about to start working with me and have a preference of which marine animal I choose (from the list above), do let me know. I’ll be happy to oblige when your first payment clears.
For transparency, there are, of course, a few T&Cs I should mention:
- Adoptions will only be made on behalf of organisations who spend a minimum of £500 on my services. This can be through one or multiple projects
- The adoption will only be made once payment has been received from the client
- The adoption will be made in the form of a charitable donation by Melissa to her chosen marine life charity
- One adoption per new client per tax year (i.e. additional adoptions can be made in subsequent tax years)
If you’re a client or potential client of mine, I hope you appreciate the sentiment behind ensuring some of my fee goes towards protecting the ocean. If you’re wondering what else I do to give back, you’re welcome to read my environmental and social responsibility policy which I continue to update regularly. Do let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I’m waiting for a couple of invoices to clear as we speak. So, I look forward to updating you on my first adopted animal(s) very soon!
Please note: this policy was active between April 2021 and March 2022 before being replaced with my commitment to give back to Project Seagrass by donating 1% of cleared payments. As such, I no longer adopt marine animals on behalf of my clients.
