Since 2016, Good Robot has hosted the weekly Goodwill Bot Initiative, a fundraising event that features a local nonprofit organization each week — profits from every pint sold at these events goes to the non-profit. Goodwill Bot has invited representatives and community members to the taproom for an evening of fun programming, community building and knowledge sharing and raised over $75,000 for hundreds of local NPOs.
Like many businesses, Good Robot pivoted during the pandemic and Goodwill Bot donations were moved online. But the closure of taprooms by Public Health hit in-person events the hardest.
“We started Good Robot because we were lonely, alienated people who wanted to create our own community of misfits,” said Joshua Counsil, co-founder of Good Robot. “The challenge with coronavirus was, for us, how can we foster community without a space?” Good Robot has used this time as an opportunity to invest in new strategies to help community charities and organisations and reimagine the whole way we give back: “We knew there was a way to make a more meaningful impact for communities that needed assistance the most.” So Good Robot scuttled the Goodwill Bot Program and replaced it with a revamped Goodwill Partnership Program with four distinct focuses: Beer, Relief, Ambassadors & Gifts.
What is it now?
Bigger. Better. Greater impact. You read that right, my friends. We have rethought our Goodwill Initiative, and have come up with a plan that will enable us to have greater impacts on the selected organizations, while still curating quirky beer experiences for the consumers. Through the Goodwill Partnership Program, we’ll connect with a different group each quarter to bring you a Goodwill Beer – a collaborative effort between Good Robot and the selected non-profit organization. 20% (or 50 cents per beer sold) of this beer will go to the NPO to fund their initiatives. Interested organizations can apply for the program here and our selection committee will get in touch.
Other Programs
Goodwill Beer
Good Robot teams up with local organizations with shared visions and values to design, brew and package a batch of beer. $.50 per pint from each beer will be donated to the local organization along with a large share of Good Robot’s social media voice to raise awareness.
Goodwill Relief
Introducing Good Robot’s Goodwill Relief Program. Each quarter, we will have a budget of $500 to give to community emergencies and more. We first introduced the Relief Program during the Fall of 2020 in support of the escalating crisis surrounding the Mi’kmaq Fisheries. We believe it is important to have funds available to donate to worthwhile causes and emergencies, that fall outside the scope of the standard Goodwill Beer Program. This is a discretionary fund, and decisions on where and when to donate will be made by a select team of management and staff on an as needed basis. If you have heard of a crisis or emergency impacting your community, please reach out to goodwill@goodrobotbrewing.ca
Goodwill Ambassadors
As we collaborate with NPOs for our Goodwill Partnership Program, we at Good Robot are looking to become more involved with the folks we’re helping support. Each quarter staff and Glee Club members will have the opportunity to volunteer with our Goodwill partner. The organization benefits from having extra hands to help out & we benefit from earning a better understanding of all the good these organizations are doing. The overall goal is a mutually beneficial increase to the spirit of camaraderie.