Retailers and charities get together with new matching service

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Retail Orphan Initiative on Tuesday announced the launch of an online charity locator to match up retailers looking to donate overstocked merchandise with local charities. The charity locator features an interactive map of nearby charities from a RetailROI-developed database of 501c3 organizations across the country that focus on at-risk children, women in distress or families in need. The charity locator includes the top 125 cities and top 300 largest malls in the U.S., with information on types of items each charity accepts, including clothing, food, furniture, building materials and educational materials.

Of an estimated $65 billion in overstocks, the vast majority is housed in small lots at local stores, which makes it costly to consolidate the merchandise, RetailROI stated.

“Retailers’ overstocks can make a huge difference,” stated Greg Buzek, president of IHL Group and donor trustee for the Retail Orphan Initiative. “By cleaning their stores of the items that aren’t selling and getting their employees focused on the items that are, they help women and children in need – providing a lifeline that brings long-term dividends to the community. ”

RetailROI’s charity locator is available online at http://www.retailroi.org/charity-locator.