Giving Back

Overview of Family Dollar Corporate Giving Policy

Today, Family Dollar serves families in more than 6,400 neighborhoods in 44 states.  We are committed to the communities we serve, not only by offering quality merchandise at low prices, but also by supporting the non-profit organizations that seek to improve the quality of life of our customers and Associates. 

To maximize the impact of our charitable contributions, Family Dollar’s corporate giving program is focused primarily upon improving the education and health of low-income and low-middle income families, including senior citizens, minorities and at-risk youth, primarily in neighborhoods where the Company operates.

Contribution Criteria

To be eligible to receive a contribution from Family Dollar, the requesting organization must be designated a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by the US Internal Revenue Service.

Generally, the purpose of the organization, event or program must be to provide goods or services for low-income and low-middle income persons in need, and the organization, event or program must benefit persons or communities served by Family Dollar stores.

General Limitations and Exclusions

We believe our contributions should be consistent with both our commitment to our communities and our commitment to our shareholders.  Consequently, our budget for charitable contributions is reallocated each fiscal year and will be reviewed quarterly against the Company’s financial performance.  While we encourage organizations to submit a request based on their needs, our typical grant is $500 or less.  This enables us to maximize our support of local programs in the neighborhoods in which we operate.

To maximize the impact of our charitable giving within our budgetary limits, we will limit our contributions to one grant per organization per fiscal year (September - August), and we will not provide repetitive annual grants or continuing support for organizations or programs.  We will review requests from organizations that have received previous support from Family Dollar as new requests and will evaluate the request in relation to other submitted proposals and budgetary considerations.

Our contribution efforts will be focused in the neighborhoods in which we operate.  Consequently, Family Dollar will limit our support of national organizations (e.g. United Way, March of Dimes, Alzheimer’s Association) to chapters within the Charlotte, NC, area and to chapters that operate in areas supported by one of our nine distribution centers. 

No support will be extended to religious activities or programs that serve, or appear to serve, specific religious groups or denominations.  However, if a proposal submitted by a church-based or similar organization falls clearly within program guidelines and is intended to serve a broad segment of the community as the program of a comparable non-religious organization, we will consider the request on the same basis as other requests.

While Family Dollar believes in the value of all charitable endeavors, generally our contributions program will not provide funds for:

1. Ads in programs, yearbooks or other fundraising vehicles;
2. Requests that are intended to benefit specific individuals or individual families;
3. Sports teams or athletic events;
4. New or renovated facilities or capital campaigns;
5. Political campaigns, programs or events;
6. Student trips or tours; or
7. Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation or national origin.

We work hard to provide customers with low-priced, quality merchandise.  Consequently, Family Dollar will not offer additional discounts on our merchandise.

Procedures

Thank you for your consideration of Family Dollar to support your community program.  Due to the high volume of requests we receive, Family Dollar has established the following donation request procedures.  Adhering to these procedures will help us respond to your request quickly. 

1. All requests must be submitted in writing on your organization’s letterhead by mail, fax, or e-mail.  No telephone inquiries will be considered.

   Mail to: Family Dollar
   ATTN: Charitable Contributions
   P.O. Box 1017
   Charlotte, NC 28201-1017

   Fax to:  704-841-9679

   E-mail to:  donationrequests@familydollar.com

2. Please submit your request on your organization’s letterhead at least eight weeks before the date of the event.  Requests must include:
   • Organization name, mailing address and telephone number;
   • Documentation of the organization’s 501(c)3 status;
   • Description of the event, program or project, including the area and number of people served;
   • Contact person’s name;
   • Date of event

Family Dollar’s Corporate Contributions Committee will meet monthly and will review all requests received the previous month.  Due to the number of requests processed, our response time can take an additional 2-3 weeks from the date of review.  We appreciate your patience.