Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How severe is the malnutrition problem in the world?

A: According to UNICEF, ”Every day, on average more than 26,000 children under the age of five die around the world, mostly from preventable causes…In up to half of under-five deaths an underlying cause is under-nutrition, which deprives a young child’s body and mind of the nutrients needed for growth and development.” (State of the World’s Children 2008) If only a small percentage of the population was willing to contribute two meals per day, millions of lives could be saved.

 

Q: What is the relationship between Nourish the Children and the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation, which also contributes product and resources to charities?

A: The Nourish the Children initiative provides another way for Nu Skin Enterprises to magnify its mission to be a force for good in the world. Nourish the Children is not a charity or charitable foundation but a charitable sales promotion in which Nu Skin Enterprises acts as a commercial co-venture in relation with certain public charities. Neither Nourish the Children products nor its’ revenues will be managed through the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation, which operates as a traditional non-profit organization.

 

Q: What is the business relationship between Nourish the Children and Nu Skin Enterprises?
A: Nourish the Children is an initiative of Nu Skin Enterprises. It represents an extension of the opportunity already offered to Nu Skin Enterprises' distributors to be a force for good in the world. The food products used in the charitable sales promotion to feed malnourished children under the name VitaMeal® are manufactured by Nu Skin Enterprises in company owned or in contract facilities. Most of the VitaMeal donations are produced in plants located in Africa or China which provide local economic development, greater distribution efficiency and reduced costs.

 

The company is pleased that its vast distributor network will have the opportunity to create awareness of the world hunger/malnutrition issue, and generate product donations through the initiative. Distributors and their customers may choose to participate by donating a portion of their purchases through this innovative program to help solve a terrible problem. Distributors and customers will be able to participate in the Nourish the Children initiative by accessing local phone order lines, www.nourishthechildren.com or other company web sites. When you donate VitaMeal through Nourish the Children, Nu Skin Enterprises also donates. For every donation of the five-bag option, the company adds one bag, feeding an additional child for 30 days. For every eight bags donated via the one and two-bag options, the company adds one bag.

 

Q: Is NTC registered with the government and do distributors need to be registered?
A: Nu Skin Enterprises is not a charity and therefore does not register with the government as a charity. In the U.S., Nu Skin Enterprises has a relationship with reputable public charities referred to as a "commercial co-venture." While most states have Charitable Solicitations Acts, only a handful of them require registration of commercial co-ventures. We have registered wherever necessary as a commercial co-venture and Nu Skin Enterprises will continue to work with regulators to ensure compliance in each of the states. Distributors are not authorized to solicit cash donations but are authorized to sell food and invite purchasers to donate part of their purchase to an authorized charity.

 

Q: How does Nourish the Children select the charities that receive its products and confirm that VitaMeal donations reach children in need?
A: The Company only partners with organizations that have a demonstrated ability to work effectively with local governments and to get food to those with real needs. Through Nourish the Children's "report back" agreements with its humanitarian relief partners, the company helps to ensure that the food donated will be delivered to those in need. Most reports include a written report from the relief organizations with an accounting of the number of children helped, as well as photos of children receiving food. An online version of these reports can be found at here.

 

Q: How does your automatic delivery program work?
A: The auto delivery program is intended to provide consistent food donations to help agencies feed children on a sustainable basis. Participants authorize Nu Skin to charge a credit card monthly for purchases of VitaMeal that are donated through NTC to charity partners. Participants can cancel at any time and can ask for a refund within 30 days.

 

Q: What if someone wants to keep the food for personal use?
A: (Applicable to markets offering VitaMeal for consumption as well as donation.) Purchasing the food is done in the normal course of business. There are a variety of great uses for the products-everything from recreational uses like camping or backpacking to emergency supply and home food storage use. Purchasers of the foods may wish to donate a portion of their purchase to their own local cause. The option to donate your purchase through the Nourish the Children initiative to help feed starving and malnourished children is voluntary and discretionary.

 

Q: Can purchasers of VitaMeal® food product choose the charity to which it is donated?
A: If a purchaser takes delivery of the products, they can arrange a donation. This is only available in markets that sell VitaMeals for public distribution. VitaMeal distribution is handled by our charity partners, primarily Feed the Children. The only cost effective way for them to transport food is in container quantities (6,000 VitaMeal bags) it is simply impossible for them to provide food to every project designated by food donors. If a food donor, and their group, are able to purchase a full container of VitaMeal they may contact the Director of NTC who will request that FTC transport the container to the designated project. FTC is under no obligation to do so but may choose to if the project meets their criteria (including ability to store, transport and distribute the food donation effectively). Donors can be assured that only those agencies with a demonstrated ability to deliver the product to people in need will be used.

 

Q: How do you assure the quality of the VitaMeal products?
A: Consumers can be assured that Nu Skin Enterprises has maintained a high standard of quality in its products throughout its 25-year history (as of 2009). In fact, the company's nutritional division, Pharmanex, incorporates a pharmaceutically-based quality control process that helps ensure safety and efficacy in all of its consumable products. The Company will take the same extraordinary measures in producing and manufacturing Nourish the Children products as it has taken in producing products for the supplement/nutrition industry.

 

Q: What is the shelf life of the food?
A: The designated shelf life of the food is one year due to the possibility of it being stored in hot, humid conditions. The rice and lentil formula contains canola oil which can go rancid when stored for extended time in poor conditions. Rancid product is safe but does not taste the same. The maiz and soya bean product has naturally occurring soy oil which can also go rancid if stored under poor conditions for more than a year.

 

Q: Is VitaMeal Kosher and Halal -certified?
A: Nu Skin Enterprises has consulted with appropriate clergy to ensure the products are Kosher- and Halal-certified for US produced product only.

 

Q: How do Nourish the Children products fit into the Nu Skin Enterprises compensation plan and company profits
A: Distributors earn commission for purchasing and selling products. The Nourish the Children initiative is a full PV program and distributors actually earn a 10% PV bonus per unit. We believe that the power of our compensation plan and our help in focusing our distributor efforts will drive the effectiveness of this effort to feed starving and malnourished children. The average percentage of commission on all products is 42 percent of the wholesale price. The Company typically earns ten percent of the proceeds of the sale of a product. Nu Skin Enterprises will contribute one package of food (enough to feed a child for a month) for every 8 packages of food purchased. (The match number may be adjusted over time or for promotions.)


Q: What is the cycle of malnutrition how does the initiative help correct the problem?

A: Essentially, a child who becomes malnourished suffers from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. These deficiencies lead to bouts of infection and diarrhea which, in turn, lead to even more severe malnutrition. By offering a highly dense, nutritious product, that is more easily digestible we can break the vicious cycle of malnourishment. There are numerous sources of clinical evidence that already demonstrate that adequate nutrition, including adequate provision of vitamins and minerals, are the solution to this problem.

 

Q: What legal guidelines should distributors follow as they participate in the Nourish the Children Initiative?
A: Things to be included and emphasized in every Nourish the Children presentation:

Nourish the Children (NTC) is NOT a Charity

  • NTC is a for profit venture
  • NTC is an initiative of Nu Skin Enterprises
  • NTC provides a mechanism for Distributors to contribute products, including VitaMeal to charity

 

NTC works in tandem with partner charities

  • Partners are registered charities
  • Never portray NTC in the context of a charity, either directly or indirectly
  • NTC’s affiliation with the partner charity should be emphasized in every presentation

 

Primary Focus on Nu Skin Enterprises

  • NTC should never be presented as a stand-alone business opportunity
  • NTC is merely a subcomponent of what Nu Skin Enterprises does and should be presented as part of a presentation which includes Nu Skin and/or Pharmanex
  • Customers and distributors should be provided the opportunity to buy other products in addition to VitaMeal

 

No Solicitations

  • NTC, Nu Skin Enterprises, or its Distributors may not solicit cash donations or contributions for NTC, rather distributors should encourage others to purchase VitaMeal
  • Distributors may also disclose that NTC will make a matching contribution to partner charities as well as facilitate any donation of VitaMeal made directly to partner charities.

 

Q: Are purchasers who choose to donate VitaMeal through the Nourish the Children initiative able to take their donations as a tax deduction? 
A: Distributors are making an in-kind charitable contribution when making donations of VitaMeal products through the Nourish the Children initiative. In the U.S. donors receive a receipt from Feed the Children, a registered 501c3 charity. We do not give tax advice and we do remind them to consult a tax adviser before making a determination as to whether or not the donation may be the basis for a personal tax deduction. In other countries, check with your local office or tax authority.