Staples Associates Direct More than $1.4 Million in Community Grants Nationwide

Associates Choose Non-profit Organizations to Benefit from Staples Foundation Grants

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc., today announced it has awarded more than $1.4 million in grants to non-profit organizations in 43 states under a new program that lets Staples associates direct donations.

“Staples Foundation is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where our associates live and work”

The grants are part of a new philanthropic initiative created by Staples Foundation which allows Staples associates around the world to direct funding to non-profit organizations that are focused on education or job skills. The program encourages local community engagement by awarding larger grants to organizations where associates are highly engaged in volunteering or fundraising – up to $25,000 per organization.

In 2012, U.S. associates directed more than $1.4 million of Staples Foundation grants to 434 local non-profit organizations, including the following organizations:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (multiple local Clubs), $183,000
• John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Mass., $20,000
• TSE-Inc., Minn., $20,000
• A Child’s Place, N.C., $15,000
• Horizons for Homeless Children, Mass., $15,000
• Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education, R.I., $7,500
• Reed Academy, N.J., $7,500
• Midlands Community Development Corporation, S.C., $7,500
• I Have a Dream Foundation, Colo., $5,000
• Chicago Family Directions, Ill., $5,000
• Women of Substance & Men of Honor, Calif., $5,000

The new program, called 2 Million and Change, will award additional funds to organizations around the world, reaching more than $2 million in grants for the year.

“Staples Foundation is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where our associates live and work,” said Katy Dobbs, director of global community relations for Staples, Inc. “Through our new program, we are pleased to support our associates and the local non-profit organizations that matter to them most.”

About Staples Community and Giving

Staples contributes to educational and youth-oriented community efforts, from literacy and mentoring to career skills development, through in-kind and monetary donations and grants from Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc. Through its community and giving efforts, Staples and Staples Foundation have helped more than 6,000 organizations in 2,000 communities across 27 countries. Community and Giving is also an integral component of Staples Soul, which recognizes the connection between long-term business success and the impact Staples has on associates, communities and the planet. For more information, visit www.staples.com/community.