A Commitment to Communities
A Commitment to Communities
Costco provides quality merchandise at a good value and makes a positive contribution to the communities where it does business by supporting children, education, health and human services, and disaster relief.
Impact statement
Costco contributes to hundreds of organizations through a variety of charitable programs and grants. The Charitable Contributions Committee meets quarterly to determine which programs to support and how to best meet the needs.
Examples include Communities in Schools, American Indian College Fund, Special Olympics, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Autism Speaks, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Urban League, Boys and Girls Clubs, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the Make A Wish Foundation.
Call to action
Costco is a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program.
Costco accepts donations through the Red Cross link posted on Costco.com during times of major disasters.
A literary tradition
Costco’s Volunteer Reading Program started more than 20 years ago. More than 70% of eligible locations in the U.S., Canada and Australia participate, encompassing over 2,600 volunteers.
Employees volunteer to tutor children who are below grade level at schools, community centers and after-school programs, 30 to 60 minutes per week for 10 to 15 weeks, with materials
provided by Costco.
This program provides an opportunity for employees to help thousands of students a year.
Community involvement
The Backpack Program helps make starting school a little easier and a little more fun for many children in need. Schools qualify for backpacks when 50% or more of their students are on the free or reduced-cost meal program.
Since 1993, almost 7 million backpacks have been donated to children across the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Taiwan and the UK.
Backpacks are distributed to students in one or two grade levels at an elementary school, located near a Costco warehouse.
Making miracles
Since 1988, Costco’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign has raised more than $459 million, most of it $1 at a time through donations made at each warehouse.
The mission of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible – funding critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment, and charitable care.
Every year during the month of May, Costco members and employees donate money. The funds are designated to the CMN Hospital closest to their Costco warehouse. Each year these efforts support more than 115 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the U.S. and Canada.
A culture of giving
Every October for more than 35 years, Costco employees have donated to support their favorite nonprofits.
Known as the Costco Workplace Giving Campaign, employees may choose any 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S., including places of worship, schools, sports teams, animal shelters and disaster relief.
Pitching in
Providing food to individuals and families in need while also reducing food waste is a priority for Costco.
Costco donates to Feeding America, a national organization that works with local food banks close to U.S. Costco locations. Costco contributes money and food, including produce, bread, and protein and dairy products.
In addition, Costco locations outside of the U.S. work with World Vision and other organizations to donate to food banks
and other nonprofits.
Costco makes a positive contribution to the communities where we do business – whether we’re supporting children, education, health and human services, or disaster relief.