Ace Hardware is passionate about philanthropy. It’s practically embedded in the retailer’s DNA. So much so that Ace conducts an annual survey to determine how its retailers give back to the communities they serve.
The 2017 Community Involvement Survey generated responses from Ace executives at 110 different retail stores, and found that:
- 98% of stores that participated donated money, products or services to non-profit or charitable organizations or causes;
- 63% of stores supported veteran organizations;
- 86% contributed to youth education and advocacy programs, such as Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters;
- 85% contributed to local business commerce organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, Kiwanis, Lion’s Club and Knights of Columbus;
- 83% contributed to youth sports activities, such as Little League, Peewee Football or Cheerleading, local school teams and other local teams; and
- 67% contributed to local emergency response, such as their fire department and police department.
“As the company that has been known as ‘The Helpful Place’ for nearly 94 years, we pride ourselves on being helpful not only within our stores but also in the communities where we live and work,” said Kane Calamari, President of the ACE Hardware Foundation in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “What is so amazing about the Ace Hardware business model, is that because our stores are independently owned, every local Ace entrepreneur knows how they can make a difference in their community. From supporting our national philanthropic efforts through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the American Red Cross, or for example, by raising funds for the high school baseball team or local community center, Ace retailers are making positive changes in communities across the nation.”
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