Community Involvement - Giving Back

BAM - St. Louis Metro East Charitable Giving Policies 

Introduction
We receive a large number of requests from non-profit organizations striving to make a positive difference in the Metro-East, and we are honored to be able to support many of those causes. We wish we could respond favorably to every
request, but the needs of our communities are far greater than our available resources as a small business. Therefore, we are unable to accommodate every request we receive, so we focus our efforts on specific objectives.

Charitable Mission Statement
Our primary interest in giving is to support local non-profit organizations specifically in developing and sustaining child-centered, play-based learning efforts that are inclusive to all children and families within the geographic reach of the non-profit organization. We strongly prefer to give to learning efforts that support learning and development of STEM skills and those that foster inclusive social responsibility.

Purpose
The Charitable Giving Policies ensure that all contributions are coordinated and aligned with our Charitable Mission Statement and business goals, maximize corporate visibility, foster long-term business relationships, and are within our budget and resource limitations. All expenditures for charitable purposes of all types will be handled in accordance with these policies.

Coordination
All incoming and outgoing requests for charitable contributions/sponsorships, in-kind services or support, and/or company volunteer support, or business courtesies will be coordinated and administered only by the store owner. Individual employees may and will not respond to requests from (or solicit from) individuals or organizations that have an actual or potential business relationship with Bricks & Minifigs - St. Louis Metro East. Incoming or outgoing requests for sponsorships, charitable donations, volunteers, in-kind services, gifts or give-aways, or business courtesies must be submitted online using the appropriate form or made in writing and forwarded to the store owner for review and final
disposition. The store owner will communicate directly with agencies regarding all requests.

Guidelines
The following guidelines will be used in reviewing requests for charitable contributions, sponsorships and/or company volunteer initiatives:
● Only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations will be considered for charitable contributions, sponsorships, volunteer support, or in-kind donations.
● Aforementioned organizations must be based in the Bricks & Minifigs - St Louis Metro East franchise territory and MUST primarily benefit families and children in that territory.
● All corporate charitable contributions, sponsorships, and in-kind services will promote our business goals, create positive visibility, and demonstrate social responsibility.
● Contributions may include volunteer participation in community events, monetary sponsorships, and borrowed inventory, but will not include donated inventory.
● We will also consider requests to support social, community, civic, educational, diversity, and economic endeavors if these support business goals and meet contribution guidelines and/or if Bricks & Minifigs - St. Louis Metro East staff is involved in the governance of the organization.
● Requests from individual schools (public or private) will be considered only if the request is for a play-based, best practice-informed program specifically designed to address STEM or inclusive social educational goals, in accordance with our charitable giving mission statement.

Exclusions
The following exclusions apply:
● Bricks & Minifigs - St Louis Metro East will not support organizations that discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability with respect to employment, volunteer participation, or the provision of services. 
● Contributions will be made only to the qualifying nonprofit agency. Contributions will not be made to organizations conducting fundraising (third party giving) on behalf of nonprofit agencies.
● Requests that solicit financial support for individuals, political candidates, and political campaigns, or entities that are not nonprofit organizations, will not be considered.
● Financial requests for capital campaigns will not be considered.
● We will not directly donate merchandise.

At Bricks & Minifigs – St. Louis Metro East, we believe that charitable giving, to efforts that further our own priorities, is our social responsibility to the people that make our business successful. If you’re interested in requesting a charitable donation of any kind, please submit the below Charitable Request Form for consideration, or read through our charitable giving polices and submit your request in writing to glencarbon.il@bricksandminifigs.com. 

This charitable contribution request form is intended to be used by those requesting charitable giving of any kind from Bricks & Minifigs - St. Louis Metro East.  Please review our charitable giving policies before submitting a request to save yourself time and ensure your request's alignment with our policies.