YouGiveGoods Partnerships Help Get Toys to Kids in Need Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

MENDHAM, N.J., November 2, 2020 /3BL Media/  – YouGiveGoods, the e-commerce platform that enables corporations, groups and individuals to run virtual drives to raise brand-new items for nonprofits, has become a valuable tool for nonprofits and businesses dealing with the demand and restrictions brought on by COVID-19. With record high forecasted demand from large corporate toy drive sponsors and nonprofits including Toys for Tots, YouGiveGoods has committed to bringing in eight times as many toys as they had in 2019 to meet the explosive need.

According to Ted Silvester, a retired US Marines colonel and current Vice President of Marketing and Development for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, "We knew that the economic hardship brought on by COVID-19 across the country meant that the need for toys this year would be greater than ever, but that running a traditional toy drive with collection bins at stores and offices would be very difficult, if not impossible to do for many of our local campaign sponsors.”

Col USMC (Ret) Silvester was familiar with YouGiveGoods but knew this year Toys for Tots would need to leverage the platform to help meet the need while allowing supporters to shop safely from home. The YouGiveGoods platform was introduced at the national campaign meeting in September to encourage  local coordinators to get their virtual toy drive up and running so they could share it with the sponsors who wanted to help this year.

“Plus, the platform allows businesses with more than one location to easily host a regional or national toy drive with each office supporting their local Toys for Tots Campaign,” Col USMC (Ret) Silvester explained. “YouGiveGoods is a solution we needed and we're so thankful they've been able to help."

Corporations are echoing the sentiment. With countless employees still working remotely many worried that their annual corporate toy drives would be in serious jeopardy.  But, especially this year, no one wants to let their charity partners down and leave kids without holiday gifts. The YouGiveGoods platform is enabling corporations large and small to move full steam ahead with virtual toy drives that have the added benefit of bringing employees together, if only virtually, at a time when we are forced to be apart.

“We could never have foreseen these circumstances when we started the business in 2011,” explains Lisa Tomasi, President of YouGiveGoods, “but now we find ourselves uniquely equipped to help people in need in the time of COVID-19. Corporations, nonprofits, organizations, schools and individuals want to continue their holiday toy collection traditions and they are finding that YouGiveGoods can closely replicate that experience in a way that works in our current environment. In 2020 virtual toy drives will be a substantial source of holiday toys for donation programs supplying gifts to less fortunate kids across the U.S.”

YouGiveGoods has some recommendations for those considering running a 2020 virtual toy drive:

1. Start ASAP. No one knows what tomorrow will bring with COVID-19 so YouGiveGoods is recommending virtual toy drives on their site start asap and end late November/early December to guarantee gifts arrive in time for holiday distribution events.
2. Connect with Nonprofit Needs. Online events enable organizers to direct donors to purchase the items the nonprofits need to serve their clients. Additionally, holiday drives can include coats/cold weather gear, food, diapers, and other critical need items for nonprofits which allows them to benefit from the holiday spirit of giving through December.
3. Shop Early. YouGiveGoods is fully stocked with toys but toy inventory is not unlimited. Getting virtual giving events up now and encouraging donors to shop early will allow YouGiveGoods to be able to react to any sudden surge in inventory needs.

“My team is working tirelessly to meet the growing demand for our service but no one is complaining; we consider ourselves lucky to witness the best in people during these most difficult times,” said Ms. Tomasi. “We are stocked and ready to ship out toys and gifts to organizations serving kids in need across the country!”

About YouGiveGoods

YouGiveGoods, LLC, is an innovative e-commerce company that connects tangible giving to community needs through our free giving platform.  Support any cause when you raise food, toys, disaster relief supplies, school supplies, socks, diapers, blankets – any goods your selected charity may need, all brand-new and delivered to their door.  YouGiveGoods' technology enables corporations, groups and individuals to create unique giving experiences with custom designed drive pages.   Specializing in workplace giving, YouGiveGoods events maximize employee engagement while meeting the needs of the nonprofit and the corporation. A YouGiveGoods online drive is a simple, efficient, measurable activity that makes a real difference in your community.

Contact:
Diane Frain
1-877-526-4483 x107
Diane.Frain@YouGiveGoods.com

About Toys for Tots

The mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. This assistance includes providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Program, raising funds to provide toys to supplement the collections of local Toys for Tots Campaigns, to provide promotional and support material and defray the costs of conducting annual Toys for Tots Campaigns.

Contact:
www.toysfortots.org

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