Community Giving Near Our Offices and Stores
Ross is proud to support the local communities near our Stores, offices, and Distribution Centers where our Associates and Customers live and work.
Regional Giving Program
Through our Regional Giving Program, we provide grant funding to nonprofits, schools, and government programs near our Distribution Centers and Corporate and Buying Offices. We proudly support a diverse portfolio of organizations across these geographies – all making great strides to advance students’ educational learning and helping to build important life skills.
Through the program, we award grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000. With these grants, we aim to build strong community relationships and have a meaningful impact on organizations supporting the educational journey of socioeconomically challenged young people. Programs we have supported include youth entrepreneurship, leadership, mentoring, STEM, literacy, after-school programs, college and career readiness, and more.
Our grant selection committee, made up of representatives from different areas of the Company, helps us with the challenging task of deciding which impactful organizations to fund each year. In 2022, we held three Regional Giving Program grant cycles and awarded $800,000 to 32 charitable organizations. We aim to grow the impact of this program each year and further our mission in these local communities.
Please go to our Regional Giving Guidelines for more information.
“I feel privileged to serve on the Regional Giving Committee, which includes a diverse team of individuals who reflect the Customers that shop our Stores. Our Committee allocates funding that encourages youth academic achievement and the development of life skills which is in alignment with our Company value of learning. I appreciate the opportunity to help Ross and dd’s give back to our communities.”
– Group Vice President of Allocation and Grant Committee Member
In addition to our Regional Giving Program, Ross enthusiastically supports several other local charities and initiatives in locations where we have a major presence.
Buying Offices
Ross is proud to support numerous fashion and community support organizations near our Buying Offices, which are located in New York and Los Angeles. We show our support for local students as they pursue fashion-related studies and careers by providing internships and scholarships through the Fashion Scholarship Fund. Our Buying Office teams also regularly donate shoes, clothing, and home goods samples to local nonprofit partners.
To further our mission to support youth, we partner with Good+Foundation and Educational Alliance. Together with our Associates, we donate money, time, and goods to these organizations throughout the year. For example, Associates volunteer their time to assemble supply kits for families with young children and help students with their homework. In 2022, we also hosted various supply drives for these partners, including a Book Drive, a Back to School Drive, a Food Drive, and a Gift Drive.
Corporate Offices
Our Corporate Office is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Ross was founded 40 years ago. To celebrate our roots, we support several initiatives in the area that share our mission to create brighter futures for youth. Two important partnerships with the Golden State Warriors and Oakland Athletics help us achieve our mission by boosting literacy and getting local students excited about reading.
For nearly 20 years, Ross has sponsored the Golden State Warriors’ “Read to Achieve” program, which is an early literacy program for local schools and libraries. The program aims to improve reading proficiency and combat summer learning loss by offering exciting literacy activities and experiences year-round. Ross is also a long-time sponsor of the Oakland Athletics’ “Home Run Readers” program, which is an incentive program to encourage K-8 students to reach their reading goals. Through both of these programs, we are delighted to promote the importance of literacy, encourage reading at home and in the classroom, and help young Bay Area students develop a love for reading.
Distribution Centers
Our Distribution Centers are located throughout the country in Southern and Central California, Central Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and East Texas, where our newest location opened in 2022. We proudly support youth-serving organizations near our Distribution Centers with grant funding through our Regional Giving Program. Our Distribution Centers also look for opportunities throughout the year to donate products to local organizations.
Store-Based Giving Program
It is important that we support all of the communities where our Associates and Customers live and work, which is why we support local organizations through our Store- Based Giving Program. Nonprofit organizations within 25 miles of a Ross Dress for Less or dd’s DISCOUNTS Store can apply for a gift card donation to support youth with academic achievement and life skills. Many organizations, like schools and after-school programs, use gift cards to help students dress for success and reward positive academic behavior. In 2022, we were honored to donate more than $440,000 to over 1,600 organizations aligned with our philanthropic mission.
Go to our Store-Based Giving Guidelines to learn more about our program and eligibility requirements.
“Educational Alliance is incredibly grateful to have the continued support of Ross Stores Inc., especially for our After-School program at P.S. 64. It’s through Ross’ support that our students receive a backpack filled with school supplies each year, are gifted a personalized toy each winter holiday, and are celebrated in small ways with holiday parties throughout the year. A huge thank you to all Ross employees!”
— Educational Alliance