The Home Depot Foundation Awards $200,000 Capacity Grant to ToolBank USA

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Atlanta, GA - October 1, 2010 - ToolBank USA, the organization behind a national movement to equip volunteers with tools to revitalize communities and transform lives, today announced an investment by The Home Depot Foundation in support of its expansion plan. The $200,000 grant will spur expansion markets for the ToolBank movement, with new ToolBanks slated to open in Charlotte, Baltimore and Denver. Each ToolBank will create and maintain an inventory of tools, such as rakes, shovels, saws, power drills, ladders and more, that is loaned exclusively to charitable organizations to increase the impact of their community work.

“The Home Depot Foundation is proud to be a Founding Funder of ToolBank USA,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “Each community’s ToolBank serves hundreds of organizations that are preserving greenspaces, building healthy affordable housing, and putting volunteers to work with hands-on projects. ToolBank USA’s innovative tool lending model increases the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by offering a cost-effective way for them to use the tools they need for their projects without each group having to purchase, maintain and store them.”   This investment from The Home Depot Foundation allows us to pursue expansion in markets across the U.S. while actively investing in the innovation capacity of our existing ToolBank network,” said Mark Brodbeck, CEO of ToolBank USA. “We greatly appreciate the foundation’s significant financial contribution, as well as the time and support of The Home Depot’s leaders. Representatives of the company are a driving force behind our success as they work with us in every expansion market, as well as sitting on the national ToolBank USA board of directors.  Additionally thousands of associates use our ToolBank tools during their volunteer projects. The Home Depot Foundation’s investment is a clear signal of support for their associates and the communities in which they live.”   This grant is the second made by The Home Depot Foundation since the founding of ToolBank USA in 2008. Additional founding investments for ToolBank USA have come from The UPS Foundation, Stanley Black & Decker, Datapipe, and REM Enterprise Solutions.

  About The Home Depot Foundation Created in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation supports nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating and preserving healthy, affordable homes as the cornerstone of sustainable communities. The Foundation’s goal is for all families to have the opportunity to live in healthy, efficient homes they can afford over the long-term; to have access to safe, vibrant parks and greenspaces; and to receive the economic, social and environmental benefits of living in a sustainable community. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted $190 million to nonprofit organizations and supported the development of more than 95,000 homes, planted more than 1.2 million trees, and built or refurbished more than 1875 playgrounds, parks and greenspaces. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter homedepotfdn and like us on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.   About ToolBank USA ToolBank USA is championing a national movement to provide an abundance of high-quality tools to non-profits and their volunteers through the replication of the ToolBank program. ToolBank USA provides the business model, training, infrastructure and systems support to ToolBanks in local communities, allowing each ToolBank to focus on core functions of customer service, accuracy, and professionalism. In collaboration with local leadership, ToolBank USA is bringing Tools For Change® to communities across the United States.  For more information, visit www.toolbank.org.   For more information, contact: Kevin Lynch ToolBank USA 404-963-2551 x5 kevin.lynch@toolbank.org   Catherine H. Woodling The Home Depot Foundation 770-384-2304 Catherine_Woodling@homedepot.com

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