Our National Community Partners
For over 15 years, Ross and dd’s DISCOUNTS have partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and First Book to build brighter futures for youth in communities we serve. In 2024, we celebrated major milestones with both organizations that were powerful testaments to our shared commitment to education and creating opportunity for deserving kids.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Ross is proud to stand with BGCA in their work to create a world where success is within reach for the more than 4 million youth they serve each year. Together, we are committed to providing safe, inclusive, and engaging spaces where young people can thrive academically and reach their full potential.
Since 2009, Ross and the Ross Stores Foundation—alongside our Associates, Customers, and partners—have contributed over $51 million to BGCA.
As the exclusive, national sponsor of Power Hour, BGCA’s most utilized program, we help the Clubs deliver critical academic support, tutoring, and enrichment for students ages 6 to 18. Power Hour is central to BGCA’s mission of ensuring all members graduate with a plan for the future.
Ross and BGCA’s joint impact extends deep into local communities. Ross supports over 100 Clubhouses through annual grants to 39 regional Club networks, including scholarships for college-bound youth. We also proudly join BGCA in their efforts to foster a new generation of leaders by supporting the Youth of the Year program at various Clubs, having sponsored and attended events, celebrated inspiring youth leaders, and even provided gift cards for some program participants to dress for success. Additionally in 2024, we provided funding for a new teen room with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley and for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Valley’s continuing case management program for those affected by the devastating wildfire in Paradise, California in 2018.
Ross Associates brought our partnership to life by volunteering at local Clubs throughout the year. They helped with homework, distributed food, cleaned Club spaces, and organized donation drives. In 2024, along with many of our corporate vendors, we raised nearly $1 million for BGCA at the fundraising event that Ross hosted during our Store Leaders’ conference.
For many of our Associates, our support for BGCA is deeply personal, from having children attend Clubs, working part-time at a local site, or even being former Club members themselves. Their firsthand connection fuels our commitment and makes our partnership even more meaningful.
“Power Hour can be hands on and energetic. It helps us think outside of the box on how to make learning fun.”
— Ms. Grace, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
First Book
For over 15 years, we have proudly joined First Book in their mission to eliminate barriers to a quality education by increasing access to books and resources in low-income communities. Through their First Book Network, they reach a community of more than 600,000 individual educators and professionals who reach an average of 6.5 million children annually.
Our partnership with First Book has been a cornerstone of dd’s DISCOUNTS’ 20-year history. Together with the generous support of our Associates and Customers, we have raised over $8 million for literacy programs near our dd’s DISCOUNTS Stores since 2009, enabling the distribution of more than 2.7 million new books for children in need.
As our organizations continue to grow together, we look for opportunities to deepen our impact and get more books into the hands of kids who need them the most. In 2024, educators who received First Book funding as a result of our support overwhelmingly reported that they were able to select books that resonated with diverse groups of learners, met different student needs, and increased their students’ interest in reading.
In-Store Fundraising
A signature component of our partnerships with BGCA and First Book is our annual in-Store fundraising initiatives, during which we invite Customers to join us in supporting our partners by donating at the register for three weeks. Aligned with our commitment to supporting the communities where we operate, each Ross & dd’s DISCOUNTS Store is paired with a local Boys & Girls Club or First Book literacy partner near the Store. The hyper-local fundraising approach is a defining feature of our partnerships.
In 2024, we celebrated:
- The 10th Annual BGCA “Help Local Kids Thrive” Fundraiser at Ross Dress for Less, raising a record $4.3 million for BGCA, of which 80 percent supported Power Hour at each Store’s local Club, with the remainder supporting Power Hour nationally.
- The 15th Annual First Book “Youth Literacy Fundraiser” at dd’s DISCOUNTS, raising approximately $990,000 for 373 local schools and programs, funding more than 230,000 books for 130,000 students in dd’s DISCOUNTS neighborhoods.
The engagement from our Store teams and the generosity of our Customers have been critical to the growth of these fundraisers. Our Store teams contributed creativity and heart by designing inviting displays, organizing engaging activities for Associates, and welcoming local partners and youth into the Store to share in the festivities.
Grand Openings
As our Company grows, so do our partnerships with BGCA and First Book. We make a donation to a local Boys & Girls Club or First Book literacy partner whenever we open a new Ross Dress for Less or dd’s DISCOUNTS Store. In 2024, we donated to 89 local partners near our newest Stores. From the moment the doors of a new Store open, we are working to have a positive impact on the local community and help support local youth.
“We appreciate this program so much! Putting books in the hands of young people is an invaluable service. Thank you feels inadequate for all you have given us over the years.”
— Jordan H., Memphis Library Foundation