The spirit of giving

Whether you call it charity, philanthropy or goodwill, helping others is a big part of many businesses, especially in our industry. Giving back is a win/win situation.

Francie Brudner, owner of L.A.-based Navigation Marketing, said many companies make charitable contributions to create programs and promotions with a charitable tie-in to increase their link to the community, gain credibility and ultimately develop their relationship with their end consumer.

"They'll partner with a charitable organization that benefits someone linked to their consumer. For example, many children's products and entertainment companies affiliate with children's charities," she said.

"These organizations benefit children, their end consumer, and therefore an affiliation to them makes a parent feel good that they are supporting a product and a cause that is close to their heart."

According to a study conducted by The Centeron Philanthropy at Indiana University, fund raising is trending up. The Philanthropic Giving Index shows current trends and future expectations in American philanthropic giving. In the summer 2006 survey, fund-raisers' overall optimism about the climate for giving in the U.S. is up 4.3% over this time last year.

Many retailers and suppliers contribute time and product to the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and to Kids in Distressed Situations. Since its inception in 1985, K.I.D.S. has donated more than $500 million worth of new merchandise and has distributed from $35 million to $42 million annually to 2 to 4 million children each year. The organization helps more than 1,000 non-profit agencies; 85% of those are in the U.S.

Companies give back in many ways, from donating money, product and time to hosting events, raising awareness and developing cause-related products. Lots of companies do some combination of all of these things, but we've attempted to break it down by a few main categories.

For the last three years LC Creations has worked with the Save the Children foundation to license designs from a database of artwork collected from contests Save the Children hosts each year.

"They have a large archive and wonderful artwork that children from all over the world have created," said Chris Ferrarese, president of LC Creations. "We use this artwork for children's furniture and accessories. We donate a portion of the wholesale to the cause."

This year Munchkin launched Project Pink, a campaign to support the fight against breast cancer and made a limited edition pink bath duck, featuring a "Don't Duck a Breast Exam" reminder. The duck is sold online and at major retailers, with proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

"One out of every eight women faces the risk of breast cancer in her lifetime, and I know from personal experience the disease can strike even young mothers with no family history of breast cancer, as it did my wife last year," said Doug Gillespie, vice president of marketing at Munchkin. "Munchkin is determined to do what we can to offer a helpful resource to the amazing moms who continue to nurture their families while they battle this disease."

Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Patti LaBelle lent their names and talents to the campaign by signing and decorating ducks that were auctioned on eBay's charity site through October with all proceeds going to the Komen foundation. Barbara Bush's duck raised $2,500.

Halo Innovations has a singular mission to help create a healthy and safe sleep environment for people of all ages. The company was founded in 1994 by William Schmid, who began researching sleeping environments after he lost an infant daughter to SIDS three years earlier. Halo donates a portion of its profits to First Candle/SIDS Alliance and together they work to educate parents on safe sleep practices.

The Baby Jogger Co. introduced a limited edition pink city series stroller this summer to benefit one of the nation's leading cancer research centers, the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

Baby Jogger produced 600 pink city series strollers, which it started selling in September for $379.95 at authorized Baby Jogger retailers.

This year, Light of Mine Designs developed the Peace, Love and Freedom design as its charity ornament. The company will give $5 for every ornament sold to an as yet to be named charity. Last year the ornament was an angel, with $5 going to My House, an organization in Atlanta that houses children with medical conditions.

PoshTots founders Karen Booth Adams and Andrea Edmunds created a workplace that contributes to worthy causes, big and small, and encourage employees to do the same.

More than 20 PoshTots employees and their children walked to honor the life of Allie Scott, a child in Texas who died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2004, just months shy of her 1st birthday. That same year, PoshTots donated all proceeds from giraffe-themed products — Allie's favorite animal — for a month to the Scott family and its new charity, Heroes for Children.

Christy Allen, spokeswoman for PoshTots, points out not all people in need have an organization to raise money for them so "sometimes we are able to help individuals in crisis. We sponsor a family every year during the holidays and most recently, sponsored a homeless mother and her four children until she could get back on her feet again. In general, we try to assist causes that focus on children, mothers and families. That at least helps narrow the list down a little."

Kelly Neal Mariotti's company, Green Frog Art, annually contributes product, labor and storage space in its warehouse and work space in its offices to the local Ronald McDonald House for their fund-raising efforts. Mariotti and her crew also have donated product to City Rescue and other local charities.

Kalencom owner Monica Kalozdi mixes her love of mountain climbing with her mission to raise awareness of and funds for Teen Life Counts, a suicide prevention organization.

Kalozdi visits local high schools to talk about her climbing experience and encourages teens to take one day at a time. Film footage of her climbs has been compiled and will be sold as a fund-raiser for Teen Life Counts and it is broadcast in the New Orleans area to raise awareness for the charity.

The Baby's Room and The Kid's Room, Too, in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. has raffled thousands of dollars worth of children's furnishings with the proceeds going to K.I.D.S. and a couple of years ago a story on the news prompted owner Debbie Fine to take another cause under her wing.

"I saw an interview with a couple whose grandchild had autism," she said. "Once they got their arms around this tragedy, they formed a charity called Autism Speaks. Their story had such an impact on me that last year and this year in April, when we have our anniversary celebration, we raffled off $5,000 worth of kid's stuff and gave the proceeds to Autism Speaks."

After the first event Fine realized April is also Autism month, so not only did her store raise money for the organization it also helped draw attention to the cause.

This summer Fine decided to do something to get more old cribs out of circulation so she had a trade-in sale. Anyone who brought in an old crib, no matter what the condition, was given a discount on their bed purchase. If the crib did not pass government guidelines it was trashed and if it was fine, the store donated it to a charity.

"These events not only support our community, they become the highlight of our year emotionally," Fine said.

Melissa Weingarden, owner of Five Cent Lemonade in Miami, has a special connection to an organization called the Samantha Foundation.

"The foundation was created after two very dear friends of mine lost their 2-year-old daughter to an in-home blind cord accident," Weingarden said. "The foundation raises money to educate and create safety awareness in and around the home. We hold an annual event to help raise money for this cause. We have a sidewalk sale, raffle, children's entertainment and more."

First Candle/SIDS Alliance and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association partner on a nationwide campaign focused on the importance of using cribs and other safe sleep recommendations to help reduce the country's infant mortality rate.

Patterned after the successful program requiring hospitals to ensure every baby has a car seat, the campaign calls for national laws and regulations to ensure every baby has a safe crib. The campaign also has an educational component, providing parents and caregivers with lifesaving information on the importance of safe sleep for their baby.

Renee Pepys Lowe, founder of CoCaLo, said as a child she was taught the importance of giving back and taking the time to help others.

"As a parent, my husband and I believe in providing our children the opportunity to give to others just as our parents did with us. Our children have had the opportunity to visit orphanages in Mexico as well as local shelters in Southern California. Last Christmas, we adopted a family and had the opportunity to go to their home and experience what giving really means from one family to another," Pepys Lowe said.

Each holiday season CoCaLo adopts a large family and the company also is a sponsor of K.I.D.S. and local agencies.

Pepys Lowe serves on the board of directors for K.I.D.S. and on the marketing committee.

"With more than 12 million children living below the poverty level in the U.S., these children and their families need as much assistance as possible. K.I.D.S. is no doubt making an impact, especially after the recent weather-related disasters. But our greatest problem is the lack of product donations and the lack of awareness of the K.I.D.S. organization," she said.

Retailer Phil Wrzesinski, owner of Toy House and Baby Too, Jackson, Mich., is a sponsor of Toys for Tots — the store is a donation center and toy drop-off location and he hosts radio campaigns in the store to solicit donations for the charity. The store supports other charities by donating more than $3,000 in products and gift certifications to local agencies that work with domestic violence, teen pregnancy, child abuse, parenting and educational programming.

The store staff teaches a class for local organizations, especially mother's groups, about how to evaluate and shop for toys and it has classes for expectant parents (and grandparents) about how to evaluate and shop for baby products.

"I also teach a class just for new and expectant fathers with all guy talk about how they can prepare for the birth of their baby and on raising a child," Wrzesinski said. "We also offer a Teacher Loaner program with free toys that teachers can borrow and use in their classroom for a week at a time. And we give all schools an automatic 10% discount for school purchases."

Manufacturer Oak Designs was the first recipient of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service's Employer Award in 2004, which was presented to owners Eugene and Catherine Boutin. The award recognizes employers who have played a key role in helping individuals move from the state welfare system to self-sufficiency by hiring them into full-time positions with benefits. The company works with a state employment counselor to help those in the Manchester, N.H., area find employment.

When Lauren Russell, owner of Russell & Mackenna, found out her friend's 4-year-old daughter had developed a rare form of brain cancer she knew they had to help in some way. Inspired by the child's positive attitude, the company gave her bedroom a makeover.

"We painted walls, reupholstered a little chair and of course built and painted fabulous furniture," Russell said. "We asked our friends at Company C if they wanted to help and without hesitation they donated bedding and a colorful rug."

Lori Burley, founder of 2 Red Hens, is a strong advocate for spreading the word about cervical cancer. Diagnosed with the disease in 1992, Burley went through months of treatments and years of health problems and was told she'd never have children. Eleven years later, she became a mother, which led her to start her diaper bag company.

Today Burley not only works diligently to spread the word about how to prevent cervical cancer, her company also makes a donation to cervical cancer research and education for each bag sold. The company's Choose to Know bag, for example, has a sewn-in tag with information on cervical cancer and how to get tested for it.

JCPenney reaches out to kids with its Afterschool Fund, an organization committed to providing children with access to high-quality afterschool programs. The fund's grants give disadvantaged kids access to programs to keep them safe and constructively engaged when the school day ends.

Since 2001, the fund has contributed more than $22 million to the cause. This year, the retailer created "The JCPenney JAM...The Concert for America's Kids."

With the help of musicians and partners like the NFL, the JCPenney JAM aired as a one-hour special on CBS in August. Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw hosted the show, which featured performances by Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Mary J. Blige, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, and more.

Zutano gives to an assortment of regional and national organizations including the National Le Leche League. The company donated clothing to Hurricane Katrina victims as well as to a U.S. soldier in Iraq who then donated the clothes to the children in the war-torn region where he was stationed. This holiday season, the company is giving thousands of dollars worth of clothing to the Good Sheppard Service in New York.

For the last two years, retailer Krista Bridges Burruss has donated products from her store, Serendipity Baby & Co., for the grand prize for the local American Cancer Society's baby calendar contest.

The American Cancer Society of Fayette County, Ga., starts the calendar contest in the summer. For a $20 entry fee, parents can submit photos of their babies. A panel narrows it down to 12 finalists and the babies, wearing outfits from Serendipity Baby & Co., have a photo shoot with a local photographer. A picture page of the finalists is put on the ACS Web site and distributed throughout the county as ballots. For a $2 donation, people can vote for a finalist, who wins top billing on the calendar. The winner gets a $600 prize package from Bridges Burruss' store.

Cynthia Brown, marketing manager for House, said it is involved with several causes including providing all the bedding and décor for the bedrooms and common areas in a sober living facility for women and children recently purchased by The Promises Foundation in West Los Angeles. The foundation is set up to help with the treatment and rehabilitation of low-income people struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol.

House also donated 50 bedding sets to the HerShe Group, which provides mentorship, occupational training, counseling and shelter to young women in the foster system and those that have been emancipated from the foster care system and have few life skills. Each year, 30 to 50 girls are selected from the L.A. area to participate in their Camp Cinderella, which is a three-week program that culminates in a debutante Cinderella Ball for the older girls in the program. House donated 50 bedding sets to the girls in the camp.

Even something as small as fabric scraps can help. House continually donates its scraps to Stitches from the Heart, which makes handmade clothing and blankets for premature babies, which it then distributes to hospitals nationwide.

Levels of Discovery partnered with Queen for a Day this year, a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise the self-esteem and self-confidence of children with cancer. The company donated its popular Princess, Firemen and Police rockers to Queen for a Day chapters across the country for their parties.

"At Levels of Discovery, we're all about kids and our mission is to bring creativity, fun and joy to children through our unique and functional furniture pieces," said Jeff Hutsell, CEO and owner. "We believe every child deserves a little something extra, and Queen for a Day is a perfect fit."

Jamie Lentzner, the artist and founder behind Jamie's Painting and Designs, has been donating name plaques and ornaments to several charities for the past few years. Name plaques were given to children in oncology wards and last year Lentzner partnered with Mercy Corps and donated a portion of the sales from her ornaments to those living in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Young America gives to several organizations and most recently teamed up with Oprah's Angel Network and Habitat for Humanity by furnishing the bedrooms of the young victims of Hurricane Katrina. Since January, it has helped furnish 195 kids' rooms working alongside Chicago interior designer Nate Berkus and his design team.

Young America also partners with its retailers to help Ronald McDonald House Charities by providing furniture for the kids' rooms, as well as serving meals in local houses.

Noah's Playground, a non-profit fund-raising effort to build a new, fully handicap-accessible playground in Evanston, Ind., will benefit from Live, Love, Dream's charity this year. The company is donating a percentage of all infant and stroller Snuggle Bag sales from its Web site to the organization.

The snuggle bags also were donated to the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome during its Pregnant Pause event this fall. The event encourages pregnant women to refrain from drinking alcohol during their pregnancies and the bags were given out as prizes during the event.

Each year Oopsy Daisy, Fine Art for Kids gives a cash donation to three children's charities, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation, ZERO to THREE and a third, which changes annually.

The company also donates product and recently sent an assortment of nightlights to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe children's dormitories in South Dakota.

Oopsy Daisy artist Jenny Kostecki went to Nepal and donated artwork to The Sunshine School there. Pieces included Kostecki's globally inspired Exploring the World from A-Z and Maria Carluccio's Animal Alphabet. Kostecki was so moved by her visit she's now working on a new series of art influenced by her trip.

Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan knew they wanted their almost three-year-old business to have a positive impact on the world from day one. Serena & Lily has sought out grass-roots causes that improve the lives of children. The company currently donates 5% of all profits to the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, Songs of Love and Los Angeles Orphanage, Tijuana, Mexico.

Kids Today received such an overwhelming response to our call for submissions for this feature that we didn't have room to print everything here. The story continues on our Web site, www.kidstodayonline.com and we hope you'll pick it up there and share your comments.

We hope you're as moved as we are by the generosity in our industry.

Happy Holidays, from the Kids Today staff.

Munchkin's Project Pink duck

Light of Mine Designs' 2007 Peace ornament

Baby Jogger's City series pink edition

LC Creations' Play Ball, based on a 10-year-old boy's design

Posh Tots' employees and their kids walked to honor Allie Scott, who lost her battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

First Candle/SIDS Alliance and JPMA launch safe sleep campaign

Russell & Mackenna's room makeover

"American Idol" finalist Katharine McPhee with kids at JCPenney's Jam