MIAMI RESIDENT MARTHA GRAEFF IS USING HER SOCIAL POWER FOR GOOD AS SHE SPEARHEADS THE FOURTH ANNUAL BAZAAR FOR GOOD EVENT THIS MONTH.

While you may be familiar with Miami’s fashionista Martha Graeff (@marthagraeff) through her colorful Instagram feed filled with chic ensembles and glamorous destinations, where the philanthropic beauty truly feels moved is when she’s surrounded by children giving back.

Martha Graeff PHOTO BY WESLEY TOREZAN

After visiting India over five years ago, Graeff was so affected by her trip and the surroundings of the children in need that she decided to team up with fellow Miami style queen Danié Gómez (@journeyofabraid) and launch The Bazaar For Good (@thebazaarforgood) in 2018—a women-led project that helps underserved children around the globe.

“I have this big following on social media, and I said to myself, ‘What do these followers mean if I’m not utilizing my platform for good?’” Graeff recalls the impetus behind the community.

Tapping her close circle of friends, who also happen to boast significant social followings, Graeff and Gomez brought together a community of women from all different backgrounds and stories with a common mission: to raise funds for children all over the world.

Our first year, we gave back to the children in India that I encountered during my trip through [the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, a residential school exclusively for children born into India’s lowest socioeconomic class,]” says Graeff. “But each year, we try to tap into different places so that we can spread the profits to different areas that need our help. In years two and three, we targeted Latin America, particularly Venezuela and Colombia, where many of the women in the organization hail from.

Martha Graeff and Danié Gómez PHOTO BY WESLEY TOREZAN

As the foundation continues to grow, so do its partners and profits, growing its impact around the world. The first year, the annual Bazaar for Good shopping event generated $100k—enough to build one new school in India. Year two raised $150K for Venezuela toward Hospital Ortopedico Infantil, Casa Hogar Fe y Alegria, Fundana and Hogar Bamb, and year three raised $420k to support Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico.

This year, Graeff sets out to generate even more, noting that influencers involved, like Camila Coelho and Valeria Lipovetsky—whose reach spans in the millions—have allowed them to increase awareness to an even greater audience, as well as attract event supporters and sponsors such as Lancome, Bentley, Cult Gaia, Reformation, Revolve and others, as well as the Miami Design District, which plays host to the event

“For our 2023 event, we teamed up with Style Saves for the first time, which has opened us up to an even larger audience, especially on a local level. It’s a really beautiful thing to see the women come together as a community and give true meaning to all the work we do with social media,” says Graeff.

Bazaar for Good Committee 2019 PHOTO BY WESLEY TOREZAN

“Charity events often have the association of a fancy gala where the meaning of what’s behind the event sometimes gets forgotten. That’s why we chose to do this as a Bazaar—it’s not only shopping, but we also host panels spanning various topics, from motherhood to wellness to music sessions, workshops and more,” she explains. “Our goal is not only to give back to those in need but also have the women involved in our mission leave the event feeling that they did good and learned something in the process.”

The 2023 iteration of Bazaar for Good will take place on May 19, 2023, in the Miami Design District. To donate and learn more about Bazaar for Good, visit unidos2give.org/the-bazaar-4-good/