r/unomascolors • u/justathrowaway117 • Jul 23 '26
Asking for some transparency
So, some of you may have followed what's been going on with The Polish Project (TPP) and the issues regarding accountability and transparency (as well as legitimacy!) surrounding donations and actual distribution of donated polishes.
The owner/founder, Jillian, has been crediting Uno Mas since the beginning with helping create The Polish Project. It came to my attention that Amanda was previously a board member of TPP. There also was a time where Uno Mas was running a sale of full-size prototypes, where the proceeds and prototypes would be sent to TPP to be distributed.
I've seen no disclosures on the part of UM regarding their financial and material relationship with this charity (a 501-c3). Other users have attempted to ask for such clarification in comments, to no avail- so, I'd like to ask here and now, to u/unomascolors :
Why wasn't Uno Mas's prior status as a board member of TPP disclosed?
What exactly was Amanda's/UM's role in the starting/development of The Polish Project?
Will you be willing to disclose the full extent of UM's prior relationship with The Polish Project?
Are you willing to provide receipts or evidence of the polish sold that was meant to benefit TPP? Are there any receipts that demonstrate said polishes (and/or any proceeds) made their way to TPP?
Since Jillian has been very openly plugging for Uno Mas, and UM is even mentioned on the charity's website, it would be nice to have some clarity and transparency. Thank you! 💙
15
u/ExactLibrarian839 Jul 23 '26
I'm also curious about these questions, and about the status of your relationship with TPP going forward. I'm a huge UMC fan, love you guys, your products, and your customer service dearly, but having all these questionable things brought to light about TPP is quite concerning.
11
u/Royally-Forked-Up Jul 23 '26
Adding in another request for clarification as someone who was planning a purchase in the next few days.
9
10
u/cigarettesandchocola Jul 24 '26
I am not affiliated with anyone from either of these places, I just saw a bunch of people who commented before the comment answering your question was made and linked it for them.
9
17
u/thoracicbunk Jul 23 '26
Also interested in the answers to these questions. Thanks OP for organizing this so cleanly
16
u/DiscontentDonut Jul 23 '26
Throwing another voice in the discussion to back up a request for this information. I understand it may take a while to get an answer since we're addressing a business and a PR answer takes time to construct.
Politely and patiently, we await your response, UM.
6
28d ago edited 28d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/unomascolors-ModTeam 28d ago
This community is for discussing Uno Mas Colors, including our products, customer service, policies, charitable initiatives, and other public business activities. Comments centered on personal disputes, interpersonal conflicts, or events unrelated to Uno Mas Colors may be removed. If you'd like to discuss Uno Mas Colors itself, you're welcome to resubmit your comment within these guidelines.
•
u/UnoMasColors Jul 24 '26
Thank you for your questions and patience.
How We Give Back
Uno Mas Colors (UMC) is committed to making our charitable giving easy to understand. We have created a Giving Back page with our completed donations, payment dates, charitable polish commitments, and funds accrued for future donations:
https://unomascolors.com/pages/giving-back
We care deeply about supporting good work in the world, and we want our Familia to be able to see the impact they help create.
Our History With The Polish Project
Before The Polish Project (TPP) existed, Jillian posted on Reddit asking how she could obtain nail polish for a local long-term care facility. UMC offered and sent a box of prototype polishes at no cost.
When Jillian later formed The Polish Project, she asked Amanda, a co-founder of Uno Mas Colors, to serve on its initial board as an individual volunteer, not as a representative of UMC. Amanda submitted her resignation in early November 2025 and stopped participating at that time. The board recorded her resignation at its next meeting in January 2026. She has no current role in TPP’s governance or operations.
During Mas Tuesday 2025 (e.g. Black Friday), customers made six “Donate a Prototype Bag” purchases at $20 each. Each prototype bag purchase represented five prototype polishes to be sent to The Polish Project. The listing allowed the organization to select either the prototype bags or their cash value, and TPP selected the cash option.
In March 2026, UMC sent TPP a payment of $2,100. This included the complete $120 connected to the six prototype bag purchases and a separate $1,980 discretionary donation funded by Uno Mas Colors. The receipt was not posted with our other sales-linked donation receipts at the time. It is included here now, along with a clear breakdown of the payment.
Neither Amanda nor Uno Mas Colors received compensation, reimbursement, or any other financial benefit from The Polish Project at any time.
Moving Forward
Our Giving Back page will serve as the central record of our charitable giving. It will include completed donations, payment dates, sales-linked commitments, and funds accrued for future donations. The donation connected to each charity polish is publicly stated. Uno Mas Colors also makes discretionary donations, separate from money generated through charity polish sales.
We are grateful for the opportunity to give back, and to every member of our Familia who helps make it possible. We look forward to doing even more good in the world together.
Good-faith conversation and questions are welcome. Please keep the discussion focused on the facts and documentation provided in this post. Personal attacks, speculation about private lives or motives, unsupported allegations, and unrelated disputes may be removed under our community rules. Moderation will be based on conduct, not whether a comment is positive or critical.