Gifts in Kind International and The Home Depot Foundation Donate $100 Million in Products to Communities in Need

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Alexandria, VA - April 6, 2011 - Gifts In Kind International and The Home Depot® Foundation announced today that $100 million in products from The Home Depot have been donated to effective nonprofits nationwide since 2008.  The Framing Hope Product Donation Program has provided home improvement materials to more than 1,100 nonprofits nationwide, from Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together to hundreds of other organizations serving their local communities.

In addition, Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs also released its research measuring the social, economic and environmental impact of Framing Hope. Results include:

• Social Impact:  Almost 500,000 low income families reached

• Economic Impact:  More than $1.4 million in energy costs saved.

• Environmental Impact:The Framing Hope program has helped families across the nation increase the sustainability of their homes by distributing ENERGY STAR products that help them save money on their energy bills. The program has also saved:

- Landfill space equivalent to approximately 2,500 garbage trucks

- Manufacturing energy savings enough to power 119 homes for one year

- Consumption energy savings totaling more than 3.3 million kWh reducing CO2 emissions equivalent to planting 517 acres of pine forest 

The Framing Hope program, a collaborative effort of The Home Depot®, The Home Depot Foundation and Gifts In Kind International, distributes unsold products and excess retail inventory to nonprofit organizations that need them. The national program matches The Home Depot stores with local nonprofit organizations that receive much needed home improvement supplies to support their charitable efforts. Many nonprofits use the donated materials to address housing needs of low-to-moderate income homeowners, veterans, seniors and others in need.

“Framing Hope is a key part of The Home Depot Foundation’s commitment to help nonprofits repair and refurbish homes and facilities for low-income families and individuals,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “Donating these products helps charitable organizations stretch their budgets, and it supports our efforts to protect the environment by reducing the amount of materials going to landfills.  It’s truly an example of the triple bottom line in action…communities, the environment and businesses all benefitting through the program.”

Examples of nonprofit organizations that have benefited by participating in the program include: 

• Fired Up Sisters was created after the 2007 wildfires in California and works to rebuild homes in the San Diego area

• Mending Hearts Charities has helped more than 50 once homeless families move into affordable housing in the greater Orlando area

• Rebuilding Together affiliates in Lynchburg, VA and Tempe, AZ have refurbished homes for disabled veterans and seniors.

“Framing Hope is a great example of how Gifts In Kind connects those who have with those who need,” said Cindy Hallberlin, president and CEO of Gifts In Kind International. “We are extremely grateful to The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation for partnering with us to create this innovative program that is benefiting hundreds of communities across the country.  The $100 million milestone is significant by any measure, and we look forward to expanding the program’s reach in the future.”

The Framing Hope program is only one of the major product donation programs operated by Gifts In Kind International.  Gifts In Kind International’s corporate partners represent a broad array of top companies, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 consumer and retail product corporations. Other corporate partners include Williams-Sonoma, HP and Mattel.  Nonprofits interested in the Framing Hope program or other product donation programs can find more information at www.giftsinkind.org.

To learn more about Framing Hope, please visit http://thd.giftsinkind.org/homedepot/.

About The Home Depot Foundation
In 2011, The Home Depot Foundation committed $30 million over three years to nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the homes of economically disadvantaged veterans.  Through Team Depot, the company's associate-led volunteer program, thousands of Home Depot associates volunteer their time and talents to positively transform neighborhoods and perform basic repairs and modifications to homes and to the facilities serving veterans with critical housing needs.

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

About Gifts In Kind International (Good360)
Working with more than half of the Fortune 100 consumer, retail and technology companies, Gifts in Kind International (www.giftsinkind.org), a 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of nonprofits by distributing corporate product donations around the world. This spring the organization will change its name to Good360, highlighting its new, innovative online marketplace that will help to aggregate the product needs of nonprofits and provide timely information about how product donations are used for the greater good. Gifts In Kind is ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the nation’s best-managed charities in America.

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