Celebrating the People Behind the Mission

St. Thomas Apostle Camp Volunteers

Beginning this month, we are excited to celebrate the volunteers and partners who go above and beyond to help make our work possoible through our monthly Volunteer Impact Awards.

While each volunteer shift creates an immediate impact, these awards are also a chance to recognize the dedication and consistency that add up over time. Every product packed, every hour donated, and every group that walks through our doors contributes to the larger mission of ensuring everyone has access to the hygiene essentials they need.

The impact of these volunteer efforts is reflected in the tremendous milestones our community has helped us achieve. Together, our volunteers continue to make it possible for us to reach more families, seniors, and students with the products they need.

July Volunteer Impact By the Numbers

• 378,639 hygiene products processed
• 451 volunteers who served
• 26 community and business volunteer sessions

Behind every one of these numbers are people who chose to give their time to make a difference. We are incredibly thankful for the volunteer groups who joined us in July. Your teamwork, compassion, and commitment helped move essential hygiene products into communities that need them most.

NFM Volunteer Engagement Award

NFM Volunteers

This July, we are recognizing NFM for their astonishing passion for volunteering. NFM hosted 3 volunteer sessions at our warehouse this month—and has already hosted 19 sessions so far this year!

Since their first volunteer session with Giving the Basics in May 2025, NFM has shown an unmatched dedication to our mission, returning for an outstanding 43 total volunteer sessions. This level of consistency is genuinely remarkable and reflects their consistence in helping ensure communities have access to essential hygiene products.

Their continued support has created a lasting impact, aiding us in processing and distributing more hygiene products to our neighbors in need. We love seeing NFM’s name appear on our volunteer calendar time and time again, knowing each visit represents another opportunity to make a difference.

Thank you, NFM, for your unwavering partnership and dedication to helping us serve more communities.

Community Builder Award

Creative Planning Intern Volunteers

The Creative Planning interns brought an incredible group of 37 volunteers to the Giving the Basics warehouse this month, creating an afternoon of teamwork, service, and meaningful impact.

This award comes as no surprise. Creative Planning has consistently demonstrated a strong devotion to serving our community through their annual volunteer event, which regularly brings 100+ employees together to help further our work. Their dedication extends beyond volunteering, as Creative Planning has been a valued partner in helping Giving the Basics grow and expand our ability to provide essential hygiene products to communities in need.

What makes Creative Planning’s partnership so impactful is their ability to bring people together around a shared purpose. Whether through large-scale employee volunteer events or smaller team opportunities, their employees show up ready to serve and make a difference.

We are honored by their collaboration, the energy they bring to every volunteer experience, and their commitment to creating meaningful impact beyond the workplace.

Volunteer MVP Award

Stella Maris Volunteers

Stella Maris earned this month’s Volunteer MVP Award by processing a remarkable 68,856 hygiene products during their July volunteer session—the highest total achieved during any July volunteer shift.

This recognition is especially meaningful because Stella Maris has consistently shown up to support our mission through their monthly volunteer commitment, which began in 2024! On special Fridays, we know we can count on their team’s experience, efficiency, and positive attitude as they help us prepare essential hygiene products for distribution.

Beyond the impressive numbers, Stella Maris brings dedication, teamwork, and enthusiasm to every visit. We are incredibly grateful for their continued partnership and the important role they play in helping move hygiene products into the hands of those who need them most.

Impact Story Award

Myers and Stauffer LLC Volunteers

Myers and Stauffer LLC is recognized for sharing several thoughtful reflections that capture the heart of the volunteer experience. As a firm dedicated to serving communities through their work in healthcare, government, and public service, Myers and Stauffer consistently demonstrate a dedication to positive impact beyond the workplace.

Our hope is that every person who volunteers with Giving the Basics leaves with a deeper understanding of hygiene insecurity and the challenges many individuals and families face when accessing necessities.

While volunteer shifts are measured by products processed and hours served, the deeper impact is reflected in the awareness, compassion, and perspective volunteers gain from their experience. Having all our top testimonials this month come from one organization is a rare occurrence, and a reflection of Myers and Stauffer’s genuine willingness to serve.

“As a mother myself, I’m so thankful there is an organization like Giving The Basics to help children maintain a sense of normalcy by providing products that are so crucial to everyday life.”— Myers and Stauffer Volunteer

“SO POWERFUL! As someone who grew up so lucky I was blown away with the kindness and what’s at the heart of this organization. I’m so glad I was able to help today and I plan on continuing to do what I can in the future. Such a great experience!” — Myers and Stauffer Volunteer

“This experience has made me feel grateful for what I have and that I can afford basic care items for myself. There’s a lot I didn’t think about being a basic need and I’m happy to help families in need. Giving the Basics is a great organization and really makes a difference in people’s lives!”— Myers and Stauffer Volunteer

Thank you, Myers and Stauffer, for putting into words what so many of our volunteers experience; the realization that access to basic hygiene products can have a profound impact on health, confidence, and dignity.

Thank You to Our July Volunteers

KBP Volunteers

While we are celebrating a few standout contributions this month, every volunteer group who joined us played an important role in making this impact possible.

To every company, school, organization, and community group who spent time at our warehouse in July, thank you! Your willingness to show up and work together mission is what allows us to continue providing hygiene essentials to people across the communities we serve.

Together, we are building a future where everyone has access to the basic hygiene products they need to live with health, confidence, and dignity.

Brookdale Senior Living Volunteers

Cerris Volunteers

Cornerstone Wealth Volunteers

Commerce Bank Volunteers

Fountain of Life Community Center Volunteers

Fisher Phillips Volunteers

The H&H Group Volunteers

Goodness Group Volunteers

Kansas City Athenaeum Volunteers

McCown Gordon Volunteers

Seaboard Intern Volunteers

Sion School Volunteers

The Cattron Family Volunteers

Foley Equipment Volunteers

Rockhurst University Staff Volunteers

Resurrection 6th Grade Volunteers

How manufacturers evaluate product recovery strategies that reduce waste, protect brand value, support sustainability goals, and create lasting community impact.

Joe Creedon
Product Procurement | Giving the Basics

Joe Creedon leads product procurement for Giving the Basics, building partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, and corporate donors to secure millions of hygiene products each year. His work helps transform excess inventory into essential resources that strengthen communities while reducing waste.

Every product eventually reaches a decision point.

A customer changes an order. Packaging is updated. A product line is discontinued. Manufacturing yields exceed demand. Inventory with a shorter remaining shelf life no longer fits a retailer’s requirements.

When that happens, manufacturers have several options. They can continue storing the inventory, liquidate it through secondary markets, recycle it, dispose of it, or donate it.

Each option has a place. The right decision depends on the product, the company’s business objectives, and the value each pathway creates.

At Giving the Basics, we work with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors every day who choose product donation—not because it’s the easiest option, but because it’s often the one that delivers the greatest overall value. A well-planned donation strategy can reduce operational costs, support corporate sustainability initiatives, protect brand integrity, and provide essential hygiene products to communities that need them most.

Understanding why manufacturers make that choice begins with understanding what excess inventory really represents.

Excess Inventory Isn’t Failure—It’s a Normal Part of Manufacturing

No manufacturer plans to produce excess inventory, but nearly every manufacturer experiences it.

Source: Netstock 2024 Inventory Management Benchmark Report

Production forecasts change. Customer requirements shift. Retail packaging is refreshed. Product formulations evolve. Seasonal demand rises and falls. Sometimes inventory simply outlasts its commercial sales window.

In many cases, those products remain perfectly safe, high quality, and fully usable.

The challenge isn’t the product itself.

The challenge is determining the best path forward.

That’s why leading manufacturers increasingly think beyond disposal and ask a different question: Which recovery strategy creates the greatest overall value?

For years, many companies viewed excess inventory primarily as a storage or disposal issue. Today, more manufacturers are approaching it differently—as an opportunity to recover value while advancing broader business objectives.

That shift in thinking is changing how companies evaluate their options.

When Liquidation Makes Sense

Liquidation remains an important tool in inventory management.

If products still have commercial demand, secondary markets can help manufacturers recover a portion of their costs while quickly reducing inventory levels. For some product categories, liquidation is the most practical business decision.

But liquidation isn’t always the best fit.

Some products are manufactured exclusively for a specific customer. Others carry branding, packaging, or contractual restrictions that make resale inappropriate. In some cases, the cost of moving products through secondary markets outweighs the potential financial return.

Manufacturers also consider how liquidation may affect brand perception, customer relationships, and pricing integrity.

When those factors come into play, donation often becomes an attractive alternative—not simply as an act of corporate giving, but as a strategic product recovery solution. For many manufacturers, the decision isn’t about choosing between doing good and doing business—it’s about identifying the recovery strategy that creates the greatest overall value.

Why More Manufacturers Are Choosing Donation

Product donation allows companies to create value from inventory that can no longer be sold through traditional retail channels.

Instead of paying to store or dispose of usable products, manufacturers can redirect them to organizations equipped to distribute them efficiently and responsibly.

For many companies, that decision delivers multiple benefits.

At Giving the Basics, we’ve seen firsthand how one truckload of donated hygiene products can support hundreds of community partners and improve access to essential products for thousands of people.

In 2025 alone, Giving the Basics procured and distributed more than $9 million worth of hygiene products through our growing network of community partners—demonstrating how strategic product recovery can create measurable impact at scale.

Protecting Brand Integrity Through the Right Distribution Partner

Choosing to donate products requires trust.

Manufacturers want confidence that their products will be handled professionally, stored appropriately, and distributed to the intended recipients in a way that reflects their brand standards.

That’s why selecting the right distribution partner matters.

An experienced distribution partner provides the infrastructure needed to receive truckload quantities, manage inventory responsibly, maintain product integrity, and distribute donations through established community networks.

At Giving the Basics, our role extends far beyond warehousing products. We coordinate with manufacturers to ensure donations are received efficiently, documented appropriately, and distributed through trusted schools, food pantries, shelters, healthcare organizations, senior centers, and other nonprofit partners.

That transparency gives companies confidence that their donations are creating meaningful community impact while protecting the reputation they’ve worked hard to build.

“Confidence comes from transparency, traceability, and the ability to execute consistently—knowing the product will be handled, stored, and distributed in a way that reflects our standards and protects our customers’ brands.”

— Cohere Beauty

Supporting Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

Sustainability has become an essential part of modern manufacturing.

Companies are increasingly evaluating how products move through their entire lifecycle—from sourcing and production to recovery and responsible end-of-life management.

Donating safe, usable products instead of discarding them supports this broader approach by reducing waste and maximizing the value of resources that have already been invested in manufacturing.

Increasingly, companies are measuring success not only by what they manufacture, but also by how responsibly they manage products throughout their lifecycle. Product donation has become one way manufacturers align operational decisions with corporate sustainability commitments while extending the value of products that are still safe and usable.

It can also contribute to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.

• Environmental: Reduces unnecessary waste by diverting usable products from disposal.
• Social: Expands access to essential hygiene products for individuals and families experiencing hygiene poverty.
• Governance: Demonstrates responsible inventory management through transparent partnerships and documented product recovery.

While every company’s ESG priorities are different, product donation has become an increasingly valuable strategy for organizations seeking to align operational decisions with measurable community impact.

Planning a Successful Product Donation

Before donating excess inventory, manufacturers should consider several practical questions.

• Is the product safe, compliant, and appropriate for community distribution?
• How much shelf life remains?
• Does the receiving organization have the capacity to accept truckload or pallet quantities?
• What documentation is required for inventory records, ESG reporting, or financial purposes?
• Have you consulted your finance or tax advisor regarding potential inventory donation benefits?

Working through these questions early helps ensure a smooth donation process and maximizes the value of every shipment.

Why Giving the Basics

At Giving the Basics, we’ve spent more than 15 years helping manufacturers transform excess inventory into community impact. We believe excess inventory should never be viewed simply as surplus.

It represents an opportunity to strengthen communities while helping manufacturers meet operational, sustainability, and social impact goals.

Through America’s Hygiene Hub, we work directly with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to recover high-quality hygiene products and distribute them through an established network of schools and nonprofit organizations across the country.

For our corporate partners, that means one trusted organization can manage logistics, documentation, and distribution from warehouse to community.

For the families we serve, it means greater access to the everyday essentials that support health, confidence, and dignity.

Partner With Giving the Basics

If your company manufactures, distributes, or sells personal care, household, or hygiene products, your excess inventory may have the potential to create lasting community impact.

Whether you’re evaluating product recovery strategies or exploring a long-term donation partnership, our team can help you develop a solution that aligns with your operational needs and corporate responsibility goals.

Ready to explore whether product donation is the right recovery strategy for your organization? Contact our Product Procurement team at procurement@givingthebasics.org to start the conversation.

The best product recovery strategy doesn’t just reduce inventory—it creates value long after the product leaves the warehouse.

Why Manufacturers Donate Excess Inventory Instead of Liquidating It

How manufacturers evaluate product recovery strategies that reduce waste, protect brand value, support sustainability goals, and create lasting community impact.

Joe Creedon leads product procurement for Giving the Basics, building partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, and corporate donors to secure millions of hygiene products each year. His work helps transform excess inventory into essential resources that strengthen communities while reducing waste.

Joe Creedon
Product Procurement | Giving the Basics

Every product eventually reaches a decision point.

A customer changes an order. Packaging is updated. A product line is discontinued. Manufacturing yields exceed demand. Inventory with a shorter remaining shelf life no longer fits a retailer’s requirements.

When that happens, manufacturers have several options. They can continue storing the inventory, liquidate it through secondary markets, recycle it, dispose of it, or donate it.

Each option has a place. The right decision depends on the product, the company’s business objectives, and the value each pathway creates.

At Giving the Basics, we work with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors every day who choose product donation—not because it’s the easiest option, but because it’s often the one that delivers the greatest overall value. A well-planned donation strategy can reduce operational costs, support corporate sustainability initiatives, protect brand integrity, and provide essential hygiene products to communities that need them most.

Understanding why manufacturers make that choice begins with understanding what excess inventory really represents.

Excess Inventory Isn’t Failure—It’s a Normal Part of Manufacturing

No manufacturer plans to produce excess inventory, but nearly every manufacturer experiences it.

Source: Netstock 2024 Inventory Management Benchmark Report

Production forecasts change. Customer requirements shift. Retail packaging is refreshed. Product formulations evolve. Seasonal demand rises and falls. Sometimes inventory simply outlasts its commercial sales window.

In many cases, those products remain perfectly safe, high quality, and fully usable.

The challenge isn’t the product itself.

The challenge is determining the best path forward.

That’s why leading manufacturers increasingly think beyond disposal and ask a different question: Which recovery strategy creates the greatest overall value?

For years, many companies viewed excess inventory primarily as a storage or disposal issue. Today, more manufacturers are approaching it differently—as an opportunity to recover value while advancing broader business objectives.

That shift in thinking is changing how companies evaluate their options.

When Liquidation Makes Sense

Liquidation remains an important tool in inventory management.

If products still have commercial demand, secondary markets can help manufacturers recover a portion of their costs while quickly reducing inventory levels. For some product categories, liquidation is the most practical business decision.

But liquidation isn’t always the best fit.

Some products are manufactured exclusively for a specific customer. Others carry branding, packaging, or contractual restrictions that make resale inappropriate. In some cases, the cost of moving products through secondary markets outweighs the potential financial return.

Manufacturers also consider how liquidation may affect brand perception, customer relationships, and pricing integrity.

When those factors come into play, donation often becomes an attractive alternative—not simply as an act of corporate giving, but as a strategic product recovery solution. For many manufacturers, the decision isn’t about choosing between doing good and doing business—it’s about identifying the recovery strategy that creates the greatest overall value.

Why More Manufacturers Are Choosing Donation

Product donation allows companies to create value from inventory that can no longer be sold through traditional retail channels.

Instead of paying to store or dispose of usable products, manufacturers can redirect them to organizations equipped to distribute them efficiently and responsibly.

For many companies, that decision delivers multiple benefits.

At Giving the Basics, we’ve seen firsthand how one truckload of donated hygiene products can support hundreds of community partners and improve access to essential products for thousands of people.

In 2025 alone, Giving the Basics procured and distributed more than $9 million worth of hygiene products through our growing network of community partners—demonstrating how strategic product recovery can create measurable impact at scale.

Protecting Brand Integrity Through the Right Distribution Partner

Choosing to donate products requires trust.

Manufacturers want confidence that their products will be handled professionally, stored appropriately, and distributed to the intended recipients in a way that reflects their brand standards.

That’s why selecting the right distribution partner matters.

An experienced distribution partner provides the infrastructure needed to receive truckload quantities, manage inventory responsibly, maintain product integrity, and distribute donations through established community networks.

At Giving the Basics, our role extends far beyond warehousing products. We coordinate with manufacturers to ensure donations are received efficiently, documented appropriately, and distributed through trusted schools, food pantries, shelters, healthcare organizations, senior centers, and other nonprofit partners.

That transparency gives companies confidence that their donations are creating meaningful community impact while protecting the reputation they’ve worked hard to build.

“Confidence comes from transparency, traceability, and the ability to execute consistently—knowing the product will be handled, stored, and distributed in a way that reflects our standards and protects our customers’ brands.”

— Cohere Beauty

Supporting Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

Sustainability has become an essential part of modern manufacturing.

Companies are increasingly evaluating how products move through their entire lifecycle—from sourcing and production to recovery and responsible end-of-life management.

Donating safe, usable products instead of discarding them supports this broader approach by reducing waste and maximizing the value of resources that have already been invested in manufacturing.

Increasingly, companies are measuring success not only by what they manufacture, but also by how responsibly they manage products throughout their lifecycle. Product donation has become one way manufacturers align operational decisions with corporate sustainability commitments while extending the value of products that are still safe and usable.

It can also contribute to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.

• Environmental: Reduces unnecessary waste by diverting usable products from disposal.
• Social: Expands access to essential hygiene products for individuals and families experiencing hygiene poverty.
• Governance: Demonstrates responsible inventory management through transparent partnerships and documented product recovery.

While every company’s ESG priorities are different, product donation has become an increasingly valuable strategy for organizations seeking to align operational decisions with measurable community impact.

Planning a Successful Product Donation

Before donating excess inventory, manufacturers should consider several practical questions.

• Is the product safe, compliant, and appropriate for community distribution?
• How much shelf life remains?
• Does the receiving organization have the capacity to accept truckload or pallet quantities?
• What documentation is required for inventory records, ESG reporting, or financial purposes?
• Have you consulted your finance or tax advisor regarding potential inventory donation benefits?

Working through these questions early helps ensure a smooth donation process and maximizes the value of every shipment.

Why Giving the Basics

At Giving the Basics, we’ve spent more than 15 years helping manufacturers transform excess inventory into community impact. We believe excess inventory should never be viewed simply as surplus.

It represents an opportunity to strengthen communities while helping manufacturers meet operational, sustainability, and social impact goals.

Through America’s Hygiene Hub, we work directly with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to recover high-quality hygiene products and distribute them through an established network of schools and nonprofit organizations across the country.

For our corporate partners, that means one trusted organization can manage logistics, documentation, and distribution from warehouse to community.

For the families we serve, it means greater access to the everyday essentials that support health, confidence, and dignity.

Partner With Giving the Basics

If your company manufactures, distributes, or sells personal care, household, or hygiene products, your excess inventory may have the potential to create lasting community impact.

Whether you’re evaluating product recovery strategies or exploring a long-term donation partnership, our team can help you develop a solution that aligns with your operational needs and corporate responsibility goals.

Ready to explore whether product donation is the right recovery strategy for your organization? Contact our Product Procurement team at procurement@givingthebasics.org to start the conversation.

The best product recovery strategy doesn’t just reduce inventory—it creates value long after the product leaves the warehouse.

A truckload of hygiene products can do more than fill warehouse space. It can reduce waste, strengthen communities, improve ESG performance, and create lasting business value.

Joe Creedon
Product Procurement | Giving the Basics

Joe Creedon leads product procurement for Giving the Basics, building partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, and corporate donors to secure millions of hygiene products each year. His work helps transform excess inventory into essential resources that strengthen communities while reducing waste.

When most people think about product donations, they picture a collection box in an office lobby or a community drive filled with individually purchased items.

Those efforts matter. They raise awareness, engage employees, and provide much-needed products to local organizations.

But when it comes to meeting hygiene needs at scale, there’s another approach that creates exponentially greater impact.

Bulk product donations.

Every year, manufacturers and retailers identify high-quality products that can no longer be sold through traditional channels. The reasons vary, from packaging updates and customer-specific overruns to discontinued product lines or inventory with a shorter commercial shelf life, but one thing remains the same: the products are safe, usable, and capable of making a tremendous difference.

The question isn’t whether these products still have value.

It’s how that value can be unlocked.

At Giving the Basics, we’ve seen firsthand how bulk product donations create benefits that extend far beyond charitable giving. They help companies reduce waste, improve operational efficiency, advance sustainability goals, and most importantly, ensure millions of essential hygiene products reach families who need them.

Here’s why bulk product donations create more impact than traditional product drives, and why more companies are making them part of their business strategy.

More Products. More People. More Impact.

Traditional product drives play an important role in engaging employees and raising awareness. They bring people together around a shared cause and often introduce new supporters to the mission of addressing hygiene poverty.

But they also have limitations.

Product drives typically generate a wide variety of items in different brands, sizes, and quantities. While every donation is appreciated, collecting, sorting, and managing thousands of individual donations takes significant time and resources.

Bulk product donations work differently.

Instead of collecting one bottle of shampoo at a time, manufacturers and retailers can donate thousands of identical products in a single shipment. Those products arrive ready to be inventoried, stored, and distributed through Giving the Basics’ network of schools and community partners.

That consistency creates efficiency at every step of the process.

Volunteers spend less time sorting and more time preparing orders. Community partners receive products they know they can distribute effectively. Families gain access to reliable supplies of the everyday essentials they need.

Most importantly, bulk donations allow manufacturers to move thousands of products through an established distribution network, reaching communities at a scale individual product drives simply can’t match.

One truckload can support hundreds of schools, dozens of nonprofit organizations, and thousands of families across the communities we serve. That’s the power of scale, which is why bulk product donations create exponentially greater community impact than traditional product drives.

A Smarter Solution for Excess Inventory

For manufacturers and retailers, excess inventory is a reality of doing business.

Packaging changes.

Customer-specific production runs leave surplus inventory.

Seasonal demand shifts.

Product lines evolve.

Sometimes products remain that are perfectly safe, high quality, and fully usable, but no longer fit commercial distribution channels.

Too often, those products are viewed as a problem to solve.

Increasingly, manufacturers are recognizing that donation is a form of source reduction, the EPA’s preferred strategy for preventing waste before it enters the waste stream.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, source reduction has prevented an estimated 6 to 19 billion pounds of chemical releases since 1991, demonstrating that keeping usable products in circulation creates measurable environmental benefits before disposal ever becomes necessary. (Source)

At Giving the Basics, we see them as an opportunity to create lasting community impact.

Bulk product donation gives companies a practical way to recover value from excess inventory while avoiding many of the costs associated with storage, destruction, or other forms of disposal. More than a charitable decision, it is a responsible business strategy that reduces unnecessary waste, improves inventory management, frees valuable warehouse space, and ensures high-quality products continue creating value long after they’ve left the production line.

When operational efficiency and community impact work together, everyone benefits.

Supporting Sustainability and ESG Goals

Today’s manufacturers are expected to do more than produce quality products. Customers, employees, investors, and communities increasingly expect businesses to operate responsibly, reduce waste, and demonstrate meaningful social impact.

Bulk product donations help companies achieve all three.

When safe, usable products are donated instead of discarded, companies extend the life of those products, reduce unnecessary waste, and maximize the value of resources already invested in manufacturing them. Donation is increasingly recognized as a practical component of sustainable materials management because it preserves the value of products while avoiding the environmental impacts associated with disposal and replacement manufacturing. (Source)

It also strengthens a company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility by creating shared value, benefiting both the business and the communities it serves. Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter and Mark Kramer argue that the greatest corporate impact comes when companies integrate social improvement into their core business operations rather than treating it solely as philanthropy. Recovering excess inventory and redirecting it to families in need is one example of how operational decisions can create measurable business and community value at the same time. (Source)

Environmental

Safe, usable products are diverted from disposal, reducing waste and making better use of resources that have already been manufactured.

Social Responsibility

Essential hygiene products reach schools, food pantries, shelters, senior centers, and other trusted community partners, helping families access products that support health, dignity, and opportunity while demonstrating a company’s commitment to the communities it serves.

Governance

Working with an experienced nonprofit partner provides accountability, transparency, and confidence that donated products are distributed responsibly and where they will create the greatest impact.

Increasingly, companies recognize that strategic product donation is more than charitable giving. It is a business practice that transforms excess inventory into meaningful community impact while strengthening corporate social responsibility, reducing waste, and creating value for both the company and the communities it serves. (Source)

The Importance of the Right Distribution Partner

Making the decision to donate products is only the first step.

Ensuring those products reach the right people quickly, responsibly, and at scale is what determines the success of the donation.

That’s why distribution matters.

At Giving the Basics, every donation becomes part of a coordinated distribution network designed to maximize impact. Products are received, inventoried, and distributed through trusted community partners, including schools, food pantries, shelters, senior centers, healthcare providers, and other nonprofit organizations.

Because those relationships are already established, products don’t sit on warehouse shelves waiting to be claimed.

For corporate partners, that means confidence.

Confidence that products will be handled responsibly.

Confidence that donations will reach the intended communities.

Confidence that every pallet donated creates measurable impact, not only for the people receiving the products, but also for the company that chose to give.

Planning a Bulk Product Donation: Five Questions to Ask

Every company has its own inventory management processes, compliance requirements, and product considerations. Before making a bulk product donation, it’s helpful to evaluate a few key questions.

Is the product safe and usable?

Products should meet quality and safety standards and be appropriate for community distribution. Even if an item can no longer be sold through traditional retail channels, it may still have tremendous value for families in need.

How much shelf life remains?

Remaining shelf life helps determine how quickly products should move through the distribution network. Giving the Basics works with partners to ensure products can be distributed efficiently and responsibly.

Can your nonprofit partner receive products at scale?

Not every nonprofit has the warehouse space, logistics systems, or community network to manage truckloads of product. Choosing a partner with established distribution infrastructure helps ensure donations move quickly into the hands of the people who need them.

What documentation will you need?

Many companies require documentation for inventory records, ESG reporting, or potential tax purposes. Having these conversations upfront creates a smoother donation process for everyone involved. Documentation may also support inventory records, ESG reporting, and discussions with your tax advisor regarding potential charitable deductions.

Have you consulted your finance or tax advisor?

Depending on your situation, donating inventory may have financial or tax implications. Because every company is different, it’s important to work with your finance team or tax advisor to understand how charitable product donations fit within your overall business strategy.

At Giving the Basics, we work closely with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to make the donation process as straightforward as possible. From coordinating logistics to managing product receipt and distribution, our goal is to help companies create meaningful community impact while supporting their operational and sustainability objectives.

Why Giving the Basics Focuses on Bulk Product Donations

At Giving the Basics, we believe the greatest opportunity to address hygiene poverty isn’t collecting one bottle of shampoo at a time. It’s building partnerships that move millions of essential products into communities that need them most.

That’s why bulk product donations are at the heart of our mission.

By working directly with manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and corporate partners, we’re able to recover high-quality hygiene products that might otherwise go unused and connect them with a nationwide network of trusted community organizations.

For companies pursuing sustainability goals, recovering usable products rather than discarding them reflects a growing shift toward waste prevention and resource stewardship. Organizations recognized through EPA’s WasteWise program have demonstrated that donation, reuse, and other diversion strategies can significantly reduce landfill waste while lowering operational costs and strengthening community partnerships. (Source)

This approach creates value at every level.

Companies gain an efficient solution for managing excess inventory.

Community partners receive consistent access to essential hygiene products.

Families receive the everyday items that support health, confidence, and dignity.

Partner With Giving the Basics

If your company manufactures, distributes, or sells personal care, household, or hygiene products, your excess inventory may already hold the solution to someone else’s greatest need.

Our team works with corporate partners to create donation solutions that align with operational needs, sustainability goals, and community impact objectives. From coordinating logistics to ensuring products reach trusted distribution partners, we make the process efficient, transparent, and meaningful.

Whether you’re exploring your first bulk donation or looking for a long-term product recovery partner, we’d welcome the opportunity to start the conversation.

Learn more about our Product Donation Program and discover how your products can help strengthen communities while advancing your company’s environmental and social impact.

Key Takeaways

• Bulk product donations create significantly greater impact than traditional product drives by reaching more people with greater efficiency.
• Manufacturers can reduce waste, optimize inventory, and support sustainability goals while ensuring safe, usable products continue to serve a purpose.
• A strong distribution partner is essential to moving donated products quickly, responsibly, and at scale.
• Giving the Basics connects corporate partners with thousands of schools and community organizations, turning excess inventory into health, dignity, and opportunity for families across the country.

When businesses and nonprofits work together strategically, excess inventory becomes more than a business challenge. It becomes an opportunity to strengthen communities.

That’s the power of partnership.

Giving the Basics is proud to share that Founder and CEO Teresa Hamilton has been featured in the Kansas City Business Journal as part of its People on the Move section.

Since founding Giving the Basics in 2011, Teresa has helped grow the organization from a simple idea into one of the nation’s largest hygiene distribution organizations. Her leadership has helped build partnerships with manufacturers, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and volunteers to provide millions of hygiene products to people in need.

Teresa continues to raise awareness of hygiene poverty while advancing new approaches to product recovery, corporate engagement, and community partnerships. Her vision for America’s Hygiene Hub reflects a long-term commitment to building sustainable systems that connect donated products with the communities that need them most.

We congratulate Teresa on this well-deserved recognition and are grateful for her continued leadership as Giving the Basics works toward a future where everyone has access to the hygiene essentials they need to live with health, confidence, and dignity.

Read Teresa Hamilton’s profile in the Kansas City Business Journal

Small Necessities. Big Impact.

Every month, we’re reminded that our community is filled with people eager to make a difference. June was a powerful example of what happens when businesses and community members come together to serve others.

During the month, 402 volunteers joined us at Giving the Basics, representing 28 volunteer groups—including 21 business groups and 7 community groups. Together, they processed an incredible 370,507 hygiene products, helping ensure individuals and families throughout our community have access to essential hygiene items.

While the numbers are impressive, it’s the personal experiences behind them that truly tell the story.

One volunteer from Security Equipment Inc. shared:

“Volunteering today gave me such a sense of pride knowing it will help families in need. I had no idea just how much a service like this was needed. I will absolutely be volunteering again.”

Another reflected on how meaningful the experience was on a personal level:

“Good way to give back. I always had to take showers at my high school. Great to see needs are being met.”

For many volunteers, spending just a few hours in our warehouse created a new appreciation for everyday essentials.

A volunteer from Shamrock Trading Co. commented:

“I have this exact ChapStick in my purse; this made me appreciate it more. Can’t take the little things for granted. So thankful we could be a small help!”

Another Shamrock Trading Co. volunteer was inspired to return:

“This was my first time volunteering at the Kansas City location. This experience made me want to come back and be a regular volunteer. Giving the Basics is an amazing organization that is essential to the area. I was extremely moved by this session.”

The impact extended beyond the warehouse. A volunteer from Mazuma Credit Union shared:

“After volunteering here, it really opened my eyes to the everyday things that can be taken for granted. I plan to go home and sort through any extra items I may have that I can donate. I really appreciate Giving the Basics for being there for our community.”

These reflections remind us that volunteering doesn’t just package hygiene products—it opens eyes, sparks compassion and inspires continued generosity.

June by the Numbers

• 402 total volunteers
• 28 volunteer groups
  • 21 business groups with 259 volunteers
  • 7 community groups with 143 volunteers
• 370,507 hygiene products processed
  • 220,929 products processed by business groups
  • 149,578 products processed by community groups

In the past year alone, Giving the Basics has helped provide hygiene products to more than 3.6 million individuals. Every volunteer shift, every box packed, and every hygiene item sorted helps ensure that our neighbors have access to the essentials they need to live with health, dignity, and confidence.

To every volunteer, business, and community organization that joined us in June—thank you. Your generosity is making a lasting impact throughout our region, and we are grateful to have you as part of the Giving the Basics family.

We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together next month.

Corporate Fundraiser Raises More Than $64,000 to Support Hygiene Access

Scramble for Dignity Demonstrates the Power of a Corporate Fundraiser

When businesses invest in their communities, the impact extends far beyond the workplace. That was evident at the 6th Annual Scramble for Dignity, a corporate fundraiser hosted by Moonshot Solutions that brought together sponsors, golfers, and community supporters to help provide essential hygiene products to those in need.

Held on June 8 at Falcon Ridge Golf Club, this year’s event raised more than $64,000 for Giving the Basics. Those funds will help thousands of students, families, and seniors access hygiene products that are not covered by government assistance programs.

The event served as a powerful reminder that a corporate fundraiser can do more than raise money—it can bring people together around a shared mission and create lasting change in the community.

Why Corporate Fundraisers Matter

Across the country, businesses are looking for meaningful ways to engage employees, strengthen community relationships, and make a tangible difference. A corporate fundraiser provides an opportunity to do all three.

Whether through a golf tournament, workplace giving campaign, volunteer event, or product drive, corporate fundraisers allow companies to leverage their resources, networks, and influence to support important causes.

For Giving the Basics, partnerships with businesses are critical to addressing hygiene insecurity. Hygiene products such as shampoo, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products are basic necessities, yet they cannot be purchased with SNAP or WIC benefits. As a result, many individuals and families are forced to choose between hygiene products and other essential expenses.

Corporate partners help bridge that gap.

A Day of Golf, Community, and Impact

The Scramble for Dignity brought together an incredible group of participants who spent the day networking, enjoying friendly competition, and supporting a cause that impacts thousands throughout the region.

The event was made possible through the leadership and dedication of Laura Sherman and the Moonshot Solutions team, whose commitment to the mission continues to inspire others to get involved.

Giving the Basics is also grateful for the generous sponsors who helped make the event possible:

• Moonshot Solutions
• Edelman and Thompson
• Cerris Systems
• Ross Family Foundation
• Kompass Kapital
• The Miller Group
• The Hartford / Stella Maris Family Office
• Hi-Genes Janitorial
• Crawford Sales Company

Their support demonstrates how businesses can work together to create meaningful community impact.

The Impact of Corporate Giving

Every dollar raised through this corporate fundraiser will help provide access to hygiene products for individuals who might otherwise go without.

For a student, that could mean having the confidence to attend school and participate in class. For a senior on a fixed income, it could mean not having to choose between purchasing medication or purchasing soap. For a family facing financial hardship, it could mean one less difficult decision during an already challenging time.

These everyday essentials may seem small, but their impact is profound.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Scramble for Dignity highlights what is possible when businesses, community leaders, and nonprofit organizations work together.

Giving the Basics extends its heartfelt thanks to Moonshot Solutions, all event sponsors, participants, and volunteers who helped make this year’s corporate fundraiser a success.

Together, we are helping ensure that dignity is within reach for everyone.

Interested in Hosting a Corporate Fundraiser?

Whether you’re interested in organizing a golf tournament, employee giving campaign, hygiene drive, volunteer event, or sponsorship opportunity, Giving the Basics can help your company make a meaningful impact.

Contact Nick Hardesty, Nick@GivingtheBasics.org to learn how your organization can become part of the solution to hygiene insecurity and help provide dignity through hygiene in our community.