How to Get Donations From JCPenney
Like many major corporations, JCPenney values philanthropy. In addition to its corporate-driven JCP Cares initiatives, the company operates the JCPenney Communities Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to providing underprivileged children with the resources they need to succeed academically and socially.
However, the company also values projects that assist college students, veterans, cancer patients, research initiatives and military personnel. Promoting volunteer service among employees is also a key aspect of JCPenney's philanthropy, and the company often donates products in addition to money if items in their catalog could prove beneficial.
Contacting the JCPenney Communities Foundation for donations or scholarships is best done on a local basis by reaching out to your store's general manager. But before you do, learn about the types of philanthropic work JCPenney has historically performed in order to prepare a convincing appeal for partnership.
The JCPenney Communities Foundation's initiatives are varied, but their emphasis remains on children and students, including college students. Grants are routinely awarded to after-school programs, such as The Y, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and After-School All-Stars. College students often receive significant discounts on clothing at the store to help them manage finances while focusing on their studies.
On the corporate side of things, JCPenney encourages its employees to volunteer with local nonprofits and participate in charity walks through JCP Cares. The company also provides support to wounded veterans by providing home furnishings to relieve financial strain while creating a comfortable environment.
As if their national impact weren't impressive enough, JCPenney devotes particular attention to causes in its hometown of Plano, Texas, and the surrounding Dallas area. For example, JCPenney provided an endowment to Collin College, allowing them to set up a scholarship for students majoring in business administration.
JCPenney also provides corporate donations to the Dallas-Fort Worth Salvation Army Angel Tree each Christmas season. And the company makes back-to-school an exciting time for patients at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, transforming them into fashion models for a runway show featuring back-to-school outfits.
The company doesn't need a special holiday or season to provide charity, however, as they donate more than $1 million dollars of products to VolunteerNow, which in turn provides them to in-need school districts, military personnel, veterans and more.
JCPenney recommends contacting the general manager of your local JCPenney store for donation or scholarship requests, and also advises interested parties to be aware of the Foundation's primary focus on "closing the opportunity gap for underserved youth." Be prepared to explain how the donation would benefit this population, but keep in mind that the company also values veterans, cancer patients and students of all ages based on its philanthropic history.
If you reach a dead-end, it may be easier to approach one of JCPenney's established partners, including VolunteerNow, Collin College, The Y, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America or the Salvation Army in order to understand how you or someone you know can benefit from their various philanthropic efforts.