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Charitable Giving FAQ

What is your criteria for donations?

We are happy to consider donation requests that meet the following criteria:
• Donation will be given directly to children who need the comfort of a teddy bear hug;.
• Recipient organization is a nonprofit organization defined by IRS Code 501(c)(3) or a registered charity in Canada, the United Kingdom or Ireland.
• The Project/Program is at least 90 days after application date
• The organization has not received a donation in the last calendar year
• We are, unfortunately, unable to provide donations for fundraising purposes including raffles, auctions, tricky trays, etc.

Can I build furry friends for charity at a discount?

Build-A-Bear is happy to provide a 10% discount to organisations and individuals who do not fit our donation criteria but are doing good work in their communities. If you are interested in purchasing furry friends to donate, please contact giving@buildabear.com to request a service discount.

Can Build-A-Bear sponsor my event?

Build-A-Bear and Build-A-Bear Foundation do not engage in sponsorship or marketing opportunities with nonprofit organisations where promotion of our corporate name and identity to potential consumers is the primary consideration.

Can Build-A-Bear become a partner for my organisation?

Inquiring organisations must be a nonprofit organization or registered charity with a national presence in the U.S., Canada, or the United Kingdom that directly align with the mission of Build-A-Bear Foundation — to add a little more Heart Illustration to life by sharing hugs and making the days a little brighter for those in need. Partnership opportunities at Build-A-Bear do not include sponsoring events, being a vendor at an organisation, creating unique furry friends, or guaranteed annual product donations. If you are inquiring about the above, please review our other FAQs. Please direct National Partnership requests to the Manager, Foundation & Giving, at giving@buildabear.com.

Can Build-A-Bear be a vendor at my charitable event or fundraiser?

We are unable to donate any portion of furry friends or cash contributions for off-site events. If your organisation is interested in purchasing an off-site experience, please contact our Corporate Sales Department at corporatesales@buildabear.com.

Does Build-A-Bear have a fundraising program?

We do not currently have fundraising programs available.

Can I raise funds or awareness for my cause in your Workshop store?

Guest satisfaction is our #1 priority. To ensure the best Guest experience, we are unable to have any organisation solicit funding, distribute information or set up a table at our stores.

Can Build-A-Bear provide support for someone I know affected by tragedy or illness?

We extend our well-wishes to all impacted by illness or tragedy, and to those who support them during difficult times. As a public company, neither Build-A-Bear nor Build-A-Bear Foundation may provide product donations or cash contributions to individuals or families. Donations from the company must be to registered charities.

Can Build-A-Bear donate an in-store experience so we can build our own furry friends?

We are unable to provide a donated in-store experience or gift cards for organisations to visit our Workshop stores. All donations are fully stuffed and stitched furry friends. If you are interested in making furry friends for a charitable purpose, we invite you to learn more about our Service Party where Guests can purchase furry friends at a 10% discount. To learn more about the Service Party, please email giving@buildabear.com.

Can Build-A-Bear donate non-furry friend items such as clothing, shoes, hearts, condos, stuffing or birth certificates?

Because Guest safety is a top priority, we are unable to provide any amount of non-furry friend items, for any reason.

What types of donation requests do not qualify?

Build-A-Bear does not provide donations to organisations requesting coupons, promotional or gift cards, money, or un-stuffed or un-stitched furry friends. We are also unable to donate to raffles, auctions, silent auctions, door prizes, tricky trays, benefits, fundraisers, or sponsorship requests. If you are interested in making furry friends for a charitable purpose, we invite you to learn more about our Service Party where Guests can purchase furry friends at a 10% discount. To learn more about the Service Party, please email giving@buildabear.com.

What types of organisations do not qualify for donations?

We do not provide donations to individuals or families (including those requesting furry friend donations for charitable organisations), political or partisan organisations, churches or religious organisations for religious purposes, organisations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, or labor organisations.

Why does Build-A-Bear donate in multiples of 12, with a limit of 120 bears?

Our bears live at our Bearhouse in cases of 24. To ensure no bear gets left behind, we donate in multiples of 12. In order to help as many deserving organisations as possible, we have a maximum request limit of 120 bears.

What if I need more than 120 bears for my organisation?

We are unable to donate more than 120 bears per qualifying organisation. If more bears are needed, we invite you to visit your local store. We invite you to learn more about our Service Party where Guests can purchase furry friends at a 10% discount when the furry friends are being donated to charity. To learn more about the Service Party, please email giving@buildabear.com

For purchases of more than 120 bears, please contact corporatesales@buildabear.com for volume pricing. Volume pricing begins at 100 furry friends or more.

Can Build-A-Bear donate uniquely designed furry friends or T-shirts for my organisation?

Build-A-Bear is unable to donate uniquely designed furry friends or tiny T-shirts for your organisation. If you are interested in creating and ordering a unique furry friend for your organisation, please contact our Corporate Sales Department at corporatesales@buildabear.com. Please allow at least 8 weeks for the development and production of custom t-shirts.

Can Build-A-Bear donate a portion of proceeds to my organisation?

Build-A-Bear is committed to supporting as many organisations as possible through in-kind donations and national partnerships. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide donations from a portion of our sales. We are happy to consider support through product donations.

Can I alter or modify the furry friends I’ve received?

Because Guest safety is our #1 priority, we cannot allow organisations to modify or alter furry friends in any way, for any reason. This includes but is not limited to sewing on logos or patches, attaching non-Build-A-Bear items to the furry friend, altering the fur or adding items or weight to the inside.

Does Build-A-Bear Foundation offer grants?

Build-A-Bear believes in the power of hugs and the simple comfort of having a furry friend by your side. Build-A-Bear Foundation is committed to furthering its mission to add a little more Heart Illustration to life by sharing hugs and making days a little bit brighter for those in need. To reach as many children as possible, Build-A-Bear Foundation is dedicated to providing teddy bear hugs to children who need them most. To learn more about our in-kind donations program, please click here.