Unwrap the ways doTERRA, which means “gift of the Earth,” is giving back through humanitarian causes.
DoTERRA, derived from the Latin phrase “donum terrae,” meaning “gift of the Earth,” is rooted in intention when creating its essential oils. Since its inception in 2008, doTERRA has dedicated itself to providing the highest-quality essential oils. To date, doTERRA has helped more than 1.5 million people through its charitable projects, according to its 2023 impact report.
It all began with a group of health care and business professionals who recognized the extraordinary benefits of essential oils. They embarked on a mission to introduce these natural gifts to the world, establishing a new standard of quality in the industry: CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade.
Emily Wright, a founding executive and chair of the board at doTERRA, had spent a decade working in the essential oil industry but had a desire to go deeper and source better oils.
“Reflecting on the beginning of doTERRA is a humbling exercise, and one that always brings me powerful insight. In the early days, funds were tight. As owners, we did not pay ourselves a salary, living instead off our savings. Extra expenses were out of the question!” Wright posted on LinkedIn.
“As doTERRA continued to grow, and as we navigated challenges and setbacks, that quote became a source of reassurance,” Wright said. “We believed in the beauty of what we could create, and so we pushed forward.”
The doTERRA founders began to dream and eventually turned their vision into reality.
Empowering Communities Through Essential Oils
Today, doTERRA’s commitment extends to environmental efforts, including a reforestation project in Hawaii, and a focus on achieving carbon neutrality by reducing emissions and increasing efficiency.
The entity’s impact extends beyond individual wellness to global community support and environmental sustainability. Through its Co-Impact Sourcing initiatives, the company partners with local growers worldwide, supporting ethical practices and enhancing the livelihoods of communities.
“Central to our Co-Impact Sourcing mission is the protection of the environment and the fair treatment of harvesters and growers within our sourcing areas,” Ben Platt, director of strategic sourcing development, said in a press release. “By sourcing our essential oils from regions where plants thrive naturally, we strive to preserve biodiversity and work to foster sustainable livelihoods for communities around the world. We are immensely grateful to our sourcing partners who share our commitment to the Earth and its gifts.”
How the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation Is a Force For Positive Change
There is also the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, which funds projects focused on empowering communities such as helping children in Kenya gain access to clean drinking water.
The situation is dire in Kenya, where many rely on surface water, shallow wells, and hand pumps. The water sources often prove unreliable, time-consuming, and unsafe, often burdening children who should be attending school with the task of fetching water for their families. Through a partnership with Fairoils, doTERRA Healing Hands provided Mwamose Primary School in doTERRA’s tea tree and lemon eucalyptus sourcing area with a reliable drinking water source. A reverse osmosis system funded by the brand’s European market now offers desalinated water to 1,250 students and the broader community.
The brand is also helping people in rural Nepal get potable water. The high costs of constructing and maintaining clean water sources force many, especially women, to fetch water from public taps, consuming much of their time. To address this, doTERRA Healing Hands collaborated with Choice Humanitarian. This partnership has led to over 200 homes receiving private water connections, the construction of reservoirs, and improved access to affordable, safe drinking water for two villages. This ongoing collaboration continues to empower Nepalese communities toward health, safety, and self-reliance.
From replanting trees in Maui, Hawaii, after the island was ravaged by fires, to increasing medical care in Madagascar and helping blind students in Thailand, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation is doing its part to make a difference.
“From the very beginning, doTERRA wanted to establish a pattern of giving,” said Mark Wolfert, doTERRA founding executive. “The doTERRA culture begins with the desire to give, help, and empower others. We accomplish this through our daily business operations, Co-Impact Sourcing, and the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation.”
