The new collaboration encourages leading outdoor sports brands to donate surplus products to In Kind Direct for distribution to thousands of grassroots charities
Today the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) has announced a new partnership with leading product donation charity In Kind Direct in a bid to tackle waste and deliver high social impact.
Founded in 1997 by HRH The Prince of Wales, In Kind Direct distributes a wide range of surplus consumer products donated by leading retailers and manufacturers, including Amazon, Pentland Brands and VF Corporation, to a fast-growing network of local, grassroots charities. Charities can use products to run their activities or give them to their beneficiaries. In Kind Direct tracks all donations ensuring products are put to good use and reports back to companies on the impact made.
Outerwear, walking shoes and sports accessories are in high demand from In Kind Direct’s charity network and can be difficult to access as retailers and manufacturers have various alternative routes to clear their surplus. To advise companies of the benefits of getting started or to develop more sophisticated ongoing product donation programmes, In Kind Direct has just published the first ever Strategic & Operational Guide to Product Giving – an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide co-written with PwC to embed product giving into strategy and operational processes.
OIA CEO, Andrew Denton comments: “The main objective of the partnership is to make our members aware of the benefits of ‘product giving’ to their business, the community and the environment. With over 20 years’ experience, In Kind Direct provides an easy and effective way of making product donations accessible to thousands of small, local charities. The more charities can access donated outdoor products, the more people can get active, explore the outdoors and get fitter, happier and healthier. Sometimes it takes something as simple as receiving comfortable walking shoes or a good jacket to get outside – something many disadvantaged people often can’t afford.”
