Supporting Our Communities

Associate Volunteering, Drives, and Donations

At Ross, we achieve success as a team. Our Associates help drive our philanthropic mission and provide vital support to our charitable programs through volunteering, drives, and donations throughout the year.

As described in the “In-Store Fundraising” section, our Associates are the force that drives the success of the annual in-Store fundraisers for our national community partners, BGCA and First Book. Their passion, excitement, and commitment to these causes is inspiring and results in greater support for the critical work of our partners.

In 2022, our Associates came together to support our community through a variety of fundraisers and volunteering efforts throughout the year.

Examples Include:

  • Storytime Activity and Book Drive: To help children develop a lifelong love of reading, Associates in our Corporate and Buying Offices recorded themselves reading books for children to enjoy, and donated more than 300 new children’s books to families served by Good+Foundation.
  • Back-to-School Drive: Associates supported our annual Back-to-School Drive by donating more than 650 backpacks stuffed full of school supplies to help young students across the country start the new school year with the tools to succeed.
  • Halloween Costume Drive: To ensure that local students could have a fun and spirited Halloween, our Corporate and Buying Office Associates collected costumes for youth served by our local partners.
  • Season of Giving: Each year we aim to bring happiness, joy, and warmth to our community during the holiday season through our Season of Giving activities.
    • For Thanksgiving, Associates in our Corporate and Buying Offices raised funds for local food banks to feed those most in need and for Educational Alliance to provide 200 vouchers for families to purchase turkeys.
    • For Winter Wishes, Associates in our Corporate and Buying Offices made the holidays brighter for students by donating more than 700 new gifts and coats to Educational Alliance, Good+Foundation, and a local Boys & Girls Club.
  • City Harvest Drive: In New York, Associates participated for the ninth year in a row in a fundraiser to contribute to City Harvest and help keep food on the tables of New Yorkers in need. In 2022, donations from Ross Associates combined with matches from Ross and City Harvest totaled more than $105,000.
  • Team Volunteering: Teams of Associates in our Corporate and Buying Offices came together throughout the year to support various volunteer efforts, including packing meals and preparing food for those in need, assembling supply kits for families with young children, and more. As part of our annual Intern Service Day activities, nearly 160 Interns from Stores and the Corporate and Buying Offices volunteered across the country to pack and sort food, support local students, tend to a community educational garden, and make motivational cards for BGCA students.
  • Matching Gift Program: Through our Matching Gift Program, Associates support hundreds of causes each year. In 2022, Ross matched Associates’ donations to more than 540 diverse nonprofits across the country.