Hope by the Ton: Good360’s Direct Truckload Program Delivers Large-Scale Donations
“We don’t receive truckloads of product. We receive truckloads of hope.” — Good360 member nonprofit
As a global leader in product philanthropy, Good360 helps our donor partners move $350 million in product each year in a variety of ways, including providing entire semi-truckloads of much-needed goods.
Well into our second decade of operation, our truckload distribution program enables qualified, larger nonprofits to take delivery of full truckloads of product directly from our corporate partners like Walmart, Home Depot, Tempur-Sealy, and Grainger. The items filling these trucks are returns, excess, seasonal, or discontinued goods — great product for providing hope.
The truckload program allows our nonprofit partners to obtain the product that they need to serve their communities, in a quantity that keeps costs at a minimum.
From Walmart, nonprofits typically receive household goods, hygiene products, diapers, toys, cleaning supplies, small appliances, and furniture. Tempur-Sealy packs 80–120 new mattresses per shipment, each worth thousands of dollars. In a shipment from Grainger, one might find ladders, power tools, plumbing supplies, safety equipment, heaters and air conditioners. And a single semi-truck could hold $90,000 worth of merchandise or more.
“Pound for pound, our truckload program is one of the most impactful initiatives that we operate at Good360,” said Richard Barney, executive vice president of partnerships. “It’s just so incredibly efficient to deliver these goods by the truckload directly to organizations that are helping individuals and communities going through hardship.”
Barney said the program also ties into Good360’s long-held commitment to sustainability and support for the circular economy. “We facilitate over 800 semi-truckloads of donations every year,” he said. “If these companies couldn’t donate, most of it would end up as trash. So, our truckload program prevents tons and tons of product from going to landfills every year, while helping people in need at the same time. It’s a win-win-win-win for donors, nonprofits, individuals, and the environment.”
To receive truckload donations, charitable organizations must meet additional vetting requirements to guarantee that their organization has the financial and infrastructural means to handle and distribute these sizable shipments, including a climate-controlled, secure warehouse with a loading dock and a fork lift.
Two types of organizations make the best fit for this program:
- Nonprofits with large operations that can make use of the volume of products arriving by the truckload.
- Large nonprofits that we designate as “Community Redistribution Partners” (CRPs) who serve other nonprofits, usually by operating a warehouse where smaller charities can pick up supplies.
Agape Distribution was founded 22 years ago and is one of Good360’s longest-serving CRPs. The southwest Ohio-based organization operates a large emergency food pantry that helps feed 24,000 people every year. It also runs a “nonprofit warehouse” where smaller charitable agencies can pick up the supplies they need to serve their own local communities. Agape provides these products primarily through the receipt of truckload donations from Good360.
“For people in need, receiving product is usually better than receiving money,” said Agape President, John Geissler, about Good360’s truckload donations. “These items go directly to the people who need it most. When someone is economically distressed, they lose all of the little things and something basic like a bottle of Paul Mitchell shampoo helps restore their dignity. It helps them right where life is lived. Good360 is the answer to someone’s prayers with every truckload that you send.”
Can your organization make good use of semi-truckloads of donations? If you are interested in Good360’s direct truckload donation program, please email Jonathon Cannon at jonathon@good360.org for more information and a program application.
Originally published at good360.org on November 14, 2017.
