Sears, Roebuck and Co. Contributions Program

Overview: Atypically for corporate foundations and giving programs, the Sears Company Contributions Program is much more transparent and more generous than its foundation counterpart.

According to the Company's webpage:

Background

Founded in 1886, Sears has been a committed community partner for more than a century. In August 2002, the company announced the Sears American Dream CampaignSM, a $100 million community commitment to help millions of Americans overcome the barriers to home ownership and provide products and services that outfit and maintain homes and families.

What Sears Supports
Focus Area

Sears focuses its community outreach activities on not-for-profit organizations that support the Sears American Dream Campaign mission.

Sears' focus on home and family, through the Sears American Dream Campaign, increases its ability to have a truly meaningful impact on the communities it serves. Increasingly, Sears proactively pursues partnerships with national and Chicago-area not-for-profit organizations that advance Sears American Dream Campaign mission. Therefore, unsolicited funding requests will be fulfilled on a limited basis.

Funding Structure

From Sears' Home Office in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, contributions are made to national and Chicago-area not-for-profit organizations that help further the Sears American Dream Campaign mission. Sears defines these organizations as:

National - Programs that reach into more than one of Sears' top ten markets (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco).

Chicago - Programs that reach directly into the neighborhoods surrounding Sears' six Chicago stores.
- 1334 E. 79th St.
- 1601 N. Harlem Ave.
- 4730 W. Irving Park Rd.
- 1900 W. Lawrence Ave.
- 6153 S. Western Ave.
- 2 N. State St.

Hoffman Estates and its neighbor communities.


Priority Consideration
Priority consideration is given to programs offered by not-for-profit organizations that:

~Support the Sears American Dream Campaign mission

~Offer unique and innovative services to a large, diverse population

~Serve families in communities where Sears has a significant presence

~Engage a large number of Sears employees and retirees in community service

American Dream Campaign:

First Phase: Education

Education on home ownership and maintenance doesn't include just the ins and outs of buying your first home. It also involves being able to manage every aspect of that home — from decorating to budgeting, as well as maintaining your property. With Sears' vast knowledge of homes, we are perfectly suited to help introduce families to what sustained home ownership entails.

Through our partnership with NeighborWorks®, our Home Management Curriculum will help educate families nationwide. Sears' HomeOwnership Center Sponsorship supports 65 existing and 10 new NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Centers nationwide. Home Shows help families learn even more about homes through real-life demonstrations.

Second Phase: Advocacy for Community Policies

Sears is the only retailer participating in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Blueprint for Home Ownership Program, which is dedicated to increasing home ownership, especially among minorities. Through this partnership, Sears participated in the first White House Conference on Minority home ownership in October 2002 in support of President George W. Bush’s goal of creating 5.5 million more minority home owners by 2010. In his remarks, the President singled out Sears among the private sector for its dedication to addressing the home ownership crisis in America.

Employee Volunteer Involvement

For more than a century, Sears has been a trusted resource for homes and families. And now our dedicated associates and retirees are extending the legacy. They are the Sears American Dream Team and the Sears American Dream Campaign’s most treasured asset. Through their expertise and hands-on help, these committed experts are changing the lives of families, neighborhoods and communities.

• Diseases/Disabilities General:
• Family Services:
• Housing/Shelter:
• Housing/Shelter, Repairs:

Application Procedures:: Multi-year funding is not automatic. The Community Relations Department handles giving. The company has a staff that only handles contributions. Application form not required. Applicants should submit the following:
1) detailed description of project and amount of funding requested
The company may request additional information at a later date.
Initial approach: Letter of inquiry to headquarters; letter of inquiry to store manager at nearest company store for local organizations located outside the Chicago, IL, area
Copies of proposal: 1


From the company's website:
Contribution Request Process

Sears reviews funding requests on an ongoing basis from January 1 through November 30. Organizations that meet the guidelines above may submit a letter of inquiry to:

Sears Community Affairs Department
3333 Beverly Road, BC-127A
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

Decisions are made within eight weeks of receipt of the funding request. Due to the large volume of requests it receives, Sears is unable to respond to grant status inquiries. If your request is under consideration, Sears may ask for additional materials to support your request. Funding renewals are not automatic and cannot be guaranteed.

Grants Paid

2002 ($43,323,000 )

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