The Retail Donation Initiative
The Retail Donation Initiative (RDI) is another way retailers can donate goods to good causes.
It works very simply - In Kind Direct matches each branch of a national retailer with a local charity which then arranges, at mutually convenient times, regular pick-ups of customer returns, ends-of-lines and items with slight defects. It's a great way for individual stores to build a relationship with a charity from their community.
We have been running a successful RDI with The Disney Store for 11 years; in fact it was our first donor. Working with In Kind Direct in this way means Disney is able to fulfil its primary focus of helping the most needy families and children in the community where their stores operate.
It also helps the company achieve its environmental goals by channelling surplus goods to a huge range of deserving causes, rather than them taking up valuable storage space or, worse, being disposed of in landfill sites.
What some of the charities in the Disney RDI say:
"For a small charity such as ours, which receives no government funding, the expense of Christmas is a great drain on our funds. Thanks to Disney we are able to give the children lovely presents not only at Christmas but throughout the whole year without jeopardising all the other service we provide."
CCLASP (Children with Cancer & Leukaemia Advice & Support for Parents).
“We are very pleased with the clothes, games and toys we receive from Disney. We distribute them amongst around 15 projects working with poor families and deprived children. They are especially appreciated by the families at this time of year as we run up to Christmas.”
Spurgeon’s Child Care.
“We picked up our first Disney collection just before Christmas. We were, as we say here up North, “well chuffed” with the goods we collected. The vast majority were given as Christmas presents to children who called at our office to see Father Christmas. Living and working on an estate which is recognised as being in the top 7% on the Indices of Deprivation, we know that many of the children would not otherwise have received such quality presents.”
Hollin Estate Management Board.