Dollar Tree Donates $2.7M to Community Service Efforts
Dollar Tree donated $2.7 million in 2020 to three of the nation's largest community service charities: Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Operation Homefront and the United Way.
Additionally, vendor partners and customers donated millions of dollars throughout the year to the charitable partners, including a $1 million gift from the Coca-Cola Co.
“The communities we serve will always be at the heart of everything we do. Our partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Operation Homefront, and United Way of South Hampton Roads (UWSHR) have helped Dollar Tree and Family Dollar give back to our customers, youth, and neighbors,” said Michael Witynski, Dollar Tree’s president and CEO. “During these uncertain times and in the face of adversity, I have been inspired by the countless stories of how these organizations have provided aid to the public when they needed it most. This critical support empowers our shared communities to continue to grow and prosper.”
Dollar Tree has long had an aggressive corporate giving and social responsibility strategy. And before COVID-19, conscious consumerism was trendy as many consumers increasingly preferred shopping from socially responsible retailers. While attention shifted to the pandemic in 2020, customer expectations have not shifted. There are many signs that COVID-19 has in fact made social responsibility an even bigger priority in consumer minds.
Dollar Tree's Family Dollar banner increased its annual giving to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2020 to more than $2 million through customer, associate, vendor and corporate donations, including $1 million from the Coca-Cola Co.’s "Make Every Sip Count" campaign. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is using the funds for its Youth of the Year program, which provides opportunities for teen club members to build critical leadership skills. The remaining funds are being used to serve meals to youth, support families of health care workers and first responders, and to provide out-of-school services to local communities.
“Boys & Girls Clubs have always continually evolved our programs and services, mobilizing to provide critical support for the urgent needs of young people, and while unprecedented, 2020 was no different,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Today, Clubs are doing whatever it takes to create equity for kids by providing access to services that promote wellbeing and academic programs to prevent learning loss and support virtual learning. We are so thankful to have Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and The Coca-Cola Co. as dedicated partners to our mission. Their support will help provide much needed resources for youth and families in local communities.”
Dollar Tree is a longtime national sponsor of Operation Homefront, which provides emergency, financial and other assistance to the families of United States service members and veterans. Since partnering with Operation Homefront, Dollar Tree customers have donated millions of school supplies and toys through the annual Back-to-School Brigade and Holiday Toy Drive campaigns. In 2020, Operation Homefront reached a milestone by distributing its 400,000th backpack with school supplies, and saving military families more than $50 million in back-to-school expenses since 2008. To help further Operation Homefront’s support of America’s heroes, associates and the company donated more than $725,000 in 2020 and provided support for the distribution of the school supplies and toys collected during the campaigns. Additionally, associates at the company’s Store Support Center supported 15 southeastern Virginia military families during the 2020 Adopt-A-Family program that brought holiday cheer to 40 children. Operation Homefront selected the families based on their financial need and many have family members who are currently deployed or are stationed on active ships that are in and out of ports frequently.
To support its neighbors in southeastern Virginia, the company announced its new partnership with UWSHR in 2020 to help facilitate the "Choose to Give" campaign that empowered its Store Support Center associates to donate to all three charitable partnerships. Along with the funds donated by associates, the company also made a corporate gift to UWSHR of $1 million in April 2020, of which, $250,000 was used to provide COVID-19 relief through direct services to individuals needing assistance, support to nonprofit agencies on the front-lines, and long-term recovery planning. The other funds are being used for UWSHR’s various initiatives that are focused on breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting economic mobility for children, veterans and families in the coastal Virginia area.
Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree is No. 30 on The PG 2020, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
