Staples Announces $2 Million in Donations to DonorsChoose.org and Born This Way Foundation
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., 2017-Jul-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) is building on its long-standing commitment of supporting education with the reveal today (Jun. 28, 2017) of a new public service announcement (PSA) starring music icon Lady Gaga.
Making its debuts on StaplesforStudents.org, the PSA features the call to action to promote kindness in school and support teachers with the resources they need for a successful classroom.
The PSA highlights DonorsChoose.org – a charity that has helped donors fund more than 25,000 classroom projects for teachers that have positively affected more than 23 million students across the country – and Born This Way Foundation, which was founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world.
Driven by several sobering statistics, Staples and Lady Gaga have teamed up to promote kindness in schools across the country and ensure that teachers and students have the resources they need for successful classroom learning. According to a report by Sesame Workshop, 86% of teachers (and 70% of parents) admit to worrying often that the world is an unkind place for children. Further, the Education Market Association reports that an estimated 99.5% of public school teachers use their own money to equip their classrooms – frequently at a cost of more than $400 per year.
In support of this mission, Staples also announced that it is making $1 million donations to both DonorsChoose.org and Born This Way Foundation.
“We’re thrilled to team up with Lady Gaga, Born This Way Foundation and DonorsChoose.org to support education and positive classroom experiences nationwide,” said Frank Bifulco, chief marketing officer, Staples. “There’s a correlation between kindness and overall well-being among students, and we’ll work together to create an environment for students that will allow them to flourish and propel them into their bright futures.”
Making of the PSA
The Staples for Students PSA with Lady Gaga was fully created by Madison + Vine and airs nationwide for the back-to-school season.
“What made this such a rewarding project was having all parties — Staples, Lady Gaga and our creative team — come together for a common goal of building more positive classroom experiences, while also telling an emotional story that people would be inspired to share and pass on. And we feel we really achieved that,” said James Shani, CEO and founder of Madison + Vine.
Madison + Vine’s unique, filmmaker-forward approach allows for the creation of narratives without sacrificing efficiency. The entire creative process – from ideation to production and post – is housed under one ever-expanding roof. The company is home for the most talented, emerging filmmakers from around the world, and the roster of directors continues to grow.
Win a $50,000 Scholarship and the chance to meet Lady Gaga
Staples is a proud sponsor of the 2017 Lady Gaga Joanne tour promoted by Live Nation. Beginning June 25, 2017, fans will have the opportunity to enter the Staples for Students Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $50,000 scholarship. The lucky grand prize winner will also win a trip to Las Vegas to meet Lady Gaga and see her in concert. Five additional winners will receive a trip to Las Vegas and tickets to Lady Gaga in concert on December 16, 2017.
Visit StaplesForStudents.org starting June 25, 2017 for sweepstakes rules and to learn how to enter. Entries must be submitted before September 16, 2017 at 11:59 PM ET and entrants must be 13 years or older.
About Staples, Inc.
Staples brings technology and people together in innovative ways to consistently deliver products, services and expertise that elevate and delight customers. Staples is in business with businesses and is passionate about empowering people to become true professionals at work. Headquartered outside of Boston, Mass., Staples, Inc. operates primarily in North America, with additional offices in South America and Asia. More information about Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.
About Staples for Students
Staples has a long history of supporting students, teachers and classrooms. Staples for Students is an ongoing program that helps students and teachers with the school supplies and essential items needed to achieve success in education. The Staples for Students campaign has included school supply drives, support for teachers in classrooms, donations for education projects, classroom initiatives such as Designed by Students, and the sale of products that give back to communities and classrooms in need.
About DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose.org is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Teachers across America use the site to create projects requesting resources their students need, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. Since its founding by a Bronx teacher in 2000, more than 2 million people and partners have given $548 million to projects reaching 23 million students. Unique among crowdfunding platforms, the DonorsChoose.org team vets each project request and ships resources directly to the school. Every donor receives photos of their project in action, thank-yous from the classroom, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent. DonorsChoose.org was the first charity to make the top 10 on Fast Company’s list of the Most Innovative Companies in the World. Visit www.donorschoose.org to learn more.
About Born This Way Foundation
Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world. Born This Way Foundation achieves this by shining a light on real people, quality research, and authentic partnerships. Working with more than 50 non-profit organizations, Born This Way Foundation has connected more than 150,000 young people with services and programing in their communities. Born This Way Foundation has also partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to collect data from more than 10,000 young people, improving understanding of the factors that affect youth wellbeing and empowerment. Visit us at bornthisway.foundation.org.
Contact:
Carrie McElwee
508-253-1405
Carrie.McElwee@Staples.com
Source: Staples, Inc.