Overview of Family Dollar Corporate Giving Policy
Today, Family Dollar
serves families in more than 6,500 neighborhoods in 44 states.
We are committed to the communities we serve, not only by offering quality merchandise
at low prices, but also by supporting the non-profit organizations that seek to
improve the quality of life of our customers and Associates.
To maximize the impact of our charitable contributions, Family Dollar’s
corporate giving program is focused primarily upon improving the education and health of low-income
and low-middle income families, including senior citizens, minorities and at-risk
youth, primarily in neighborhoods where the Company operates.
Contribution Criteria
To be eligible to receive a contribution from Family Dollar, the requesting organization
must be designated a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by the US Internal Revenue Service.
Generally, the purpose of the organization, event or program must be to provide
goods or services for low-income and low-middle income persons in need, and the
organization, event or program must benefit persons or communities served by Family Dollar stores.
General Limitations and Exclusions
We believe our contributions should be consistent with both our commitment to our
communities and our commitment to our shareholders. Consequently, our budget
for charitable contributions is reallocated each fiscal year and will be reviewed
quarterly against the Company’s financial performance. While we encourage
organizations to submit a request based on their needs, our typical grant is $250
or less. This enables us to maximize our support of local programs in the
neighborhoods in which we operate.
To maximize the impact of our charitable giving within our budgetary limits, we
will limit our contributions to one grant per organization per fiscal year (September
- August), and we will not provide repetitive annual grants or continuing support
for organizations or programs. We will review requests from organizations
that have received previous support from Family Dollar as new requests and will
evaluate the request in relation to other submitted proposals and budgetary considerations.
Our contribution efforts will be focused in the neighborhoods in which we operate.
Consequently, Family Dollar will limit our support of national organizations (e.g.
United Way, March of Dimes, Alzheimer’s Association) to chapters within the Charlotte,
NC, area and to chapters that operate in areas supported by one of our nine distribution
centers.
No support will be extended to religious activities or programs that serve, or appear
to serve, specific religious groups or denominations.
However, if a proposal
submitted by a church-based or similar organization falls clearly within program
guidelines and is intended to serve a broad segment of the community as the program
of a comparable non-religious organization, we will consider the request on the
same basis as other requests.
While Family Dollar believes in the value of all charitable endeavors, generally
our contributions program will not provide funds for:
- Ads in programs, yearbooks or other fundraising vehicles;
- Benefits for individuals or individual families;
- Sports teams or athletic events;
- The construction or renovation of facilities;
- Political campaigns, programs or events;
- Student trips or tours;
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, age,
sexual orientation or national origin;
- Organizations in states or countries not served by Family Dollar;
- Memberships in Chambers of Commerce;
- Animal welfare programs or organizations;
- Conferences, seminars, or gala fundraisers.
We work hard to provide customers with low-priced, quality merchandise. Consequently,
Family Dollar will not offer additional discounts on our merchandise.
Procedures
No telephoned, faxed or emailed requests will be considered. To submit a request for consideration, please use our online form.
Due to the volume of requests for donations and sponsorships received, we are unable to respond personally to telephoned, faxed and emailed inquiries regarding the status of requests. All requests will receive a written response generally within 6-8 weeks of the initial application.
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