Lake County has a strong nonprofit ecosystem and a rich tradition of corporate generosity, making it fertile ground for unique business opportunities with big impact. A perfect example of this is GiveNKind, a group that serves as a sustainable matchmaker for nonprofits, businesses and distributors. In 2023, GiveNKind expanded 92% and celebrated the record-breaking year of growth by opening its new headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. We asked Founder and Executive Director Emily Petway to collaborate with us and share the stories behind GiveNKind’s success.
Product returns, surplus, close-dated, and out-of-season products cause friction in the supply chain, costing businesses time and money. Finding an environmentally and socially responsible solution can be time-consuming. What if there was a one-stop solution to excess products right in our backyard?
Meet GiveNKind, a Buffalo Grove nonprofit that set out to serve as a bridge between local nonprofits and businesses and distributors that had excess goods. Donation is a sustainable alternative to burning, burying, shipping or otherwise liquidating products that are no longer fit for traditional markets due to seasonality, marketing conflicts, and so forth.
As it turns out, there is a significant need for GiveNKind’s services. Over time, the organization has evolved to solve large-scale resource issues while providing essential resources to thousands. In 2023—its biggest year on record—GiveNKind leveraged its Lake County location to expand 92% and enlist the support of 300+ volunteers who helped place $14.2 million in resources from 160 donating companies with 224 nonprofits.
“Many businesses would like to donate surplus products like apparel or personal healthcare, but it takes time to find the right match depending on the product, quantity, and the nonprofit’s operational capacity,” explained Emily Petway, GiveNKind’s founder and executive director. “We simplify the process to make it more cost-effective and time-efficient for companies to donate products and improve their social and environmental ESG metrics. There are significant financial and environmental advantages for businesses that want to donate goods, including tax benefits and waste reduction.”
GiveNKind manages the logistics of retrieving donated products and transports them to the GiveNKind Center, where they are processed with the help of local volunteers. Products are made available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits that distribute them directly to individuals and families in need. “Products that were once ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ are shared with our 600+ nonprofit partners that offer counseling and job-training services, housing and food assistance, early childhood programming, animal rescue, community-building events, and more,” added Petway.
“Lake County is lucky to have so many corporate leaders in reverse logistics,” observed Petway. “For example, one of our largest partners is Walgreens. The company really understands how its donations can positively impact people in our community while also reducing its environmental footprint. It’s a win, win. In another instance, we found a company that was storing pallets of excess socks at a cost of $100 a day, and so we worked with them to take the socks and distribute them to those in need—saving them and the recipient money while putting the socks to good use.”
Over the past several years, GiveNKind has ramped up its operations. To keep up with growth, the organization recently moved to a larger facility in Buffalo Grove and added additional employees. “We’ve been in the Lake County community for over 12 years,” shared Petway. “Our partnerships with the Village of Buffalo Grove, Vernon Township, and Van Vlissingen and Co. have been instrumental in ensuring we have a stable and welcoming space to carry out our mission.
“GiveNKind is really at the forefront of transforming reverse logistics. It’s exciting to see how the organization is reshaping traditional collaborative models to strengthen bonds between nonprofits and business while also creating a blueprint for a more efficient and benevolent product life cycle,” notes Gordon Lamphere, the Director of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen, who also hosts the popular podcast Real Finds. “Van Vlissingen was happy to work with GiveNKind to find a space in Lake County that could support their meaningful work.
“The synergy between GiveNKind and its partners has proven to be a powerful force for good,” shared Anne Bailey, GiveNKind’s Program Manager. “When nonprofits pick up resources from the GiveNKind Center, each has a story about a client that benefitted: school-aged kids received new athletic shoes, a young family received supplies for a new baby, individuals experiencing homelessness received fresh socks and portable food, and rescued animals received their first toys. Our program is a sustainable method that benefits businesses, nonprofits, and the community.”
GiveNKind wants more companies to know about its donation program and more nonprofits to learn about the resources it offers. “We’re grateful to Lake County Partners for including nonprofits in important conversations about our community. We are eager to connect with new partners who have yet to hear about us so that together, we can bring needed resources to neighbors in need.”
Click here to learn more about GiveNKind, and connect with us here so that we can help you explore the many ways that your business can forge a deeper connection with the Lake County community.