Ace Hardware has over 5,000 stores around the world, with the majority of those stores independently owned and operated by local families. These families are part of the fabric of their local communities and that includes not only meeting their hardware needs, but also supporting them in times of need. Ace stores take great pride in giving back in many ways, supporting tens of thousands of local charities each year – from schools and little leagues to scout troops and veterans’ groups.
While Ace stores support thousands of different hyperlocal charities, there’s one charity that the entire Ace family comes together to support – Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. At Ace, you’ll often hear the phrase “Stronger Together, Together we are Ace” and nothing speaks louder to that than Ace’s 30-year partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. From the retail stores to Ace Hardware’s corporate offices, Retail Support Centers and Care Center, it is the heart of the company and the mission is beloved by all: to help local kids and families when they need it most.
Since 1991, Ace has raised over $150 million for local CMN Hospitals through the support of its store owners, customers, vendor partners and corporate team members – raising a record $17.9 million in 2020 alone. Beyond dollars, Ace prides itself in helping raise awareness through advertising, social media and in-store signage of the amazing work that these hospitals do, and the support needed for them – especially in the past two years.
While many companies had to cut their charitable efforts when COVID hit, Ace was blessed to be considered an essential business and thus used the record-breaking year of sales as a springboard to give back. As a leader in point-of-sale fundraising, Ace raised a record $7.1 million via the Round Up function in 2020, with many store owners matching or adding to their customers donations. And while COVID safety precautions changed Ace’s annual golf outings, they still successfully and safely hosted their three signature vendor fundraising golf events – which raised over $5 million for CMN Hospitals.
From in-store fundraising programs to celebrity golf events, the Ace Hardware Foundation, the official charitable arm of Ace Hardware, provides support and opportunities for the Ace community to give back not only in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals but also to the American Red Cross during disaster relief efforts. The Foundation team also oversees the growing volunteer program at Ace which allows employees to take 20 hours each year to donate their time and talent to help local charities.
While Ace is passionate about helping others – they also believe strongly in helping members of the Ace team when they need it most. Therefore, through the Ace Foundation, they have the Ace Helpful Fund – an employee emergency assistance fund available to qualified Ace team members who are facing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances. In the past 3 years alone, this Fund has assisted over 175 Ace employees during times of need.
“Our purpose is simple at Ace Hardware – we exist to help others. And this starts with a purpose-driven culture and a strong belief in the power of local,” said Kane Calamari, President of the Ace Foundation and Chief Human Resources Officer for Ace Hardware. “Giving back and helping others is in the DNA of our company and is something we are extremely proud of; therefore we are honored to be recognized as the 2022 Golden Halo for Business recipient.
At Ace Hardware, helpful isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life. The team at Ace Hardware takes great pride in being “the helpful folks” – and that extends beyond the walls of their stores and into the communities they serve.
