One of the ways that AMS has served the community for many years is to arrange for the charitable donation of inventory that our fulfillment clients have offered for donation.
There are times when a fulfillment company client has older inventory or overstock inventory sitting on the shelves, taking up space in the warehouse. This inventory is sometimes sold through a liquidator. But another option, one that AMS encourages, and many AMS clients prefer, is to donate inventory to nonprofit organizations in the community. This has been the practice at both AMS East and AMS West for a number of years. We locate nonprofits that are in need of donations, and we facilitate the gift of clients’ products.
In the first six months of 2023 AMS clients have partnered with us to donate over $350,000 worth of product to help support nonprofits in our communities. The products include T-shirts, items of clothing, household detergents, coffee, makeup, shoes, nail polish, and all kinds of other products as well.
The clients of AMS place value in our B Corporation status and they are inspired to use their business as a force for good as well. Another positive in some cases it that there are more advantages for the client to donate stagnant merchandise rather than clear it through a liquidator. Liquidators look for the lowest price possible and then resell for profit. By donating that nonmoving merchandise to charity, AMS clients can earn a federal income tax deduction up to twice the cost and have the satisfaction of knowing that their merchandise is going to a nonprofit in the local community.
When an AMS client comes to us, knowing we are a B Corp, and asks for suggestions on how and where to donate, our client service team will investigate the inventory and report to the client any products or clothing items that have been stagnant. Then the team will determine which community organizations would benefit, and suggest that organization to the client as a recipient.
AMS began this form of charitable contribution as early as 2004. We have searched for nonprofits within our local communities that are fostering civic engagement and leadership, driving economic growth, and strengthening the fabric of our communities. We also look into the nonprofit’s mission in action when our employees, families or neighbors are direct beneficiaries.
Some of the organizations that have received donations from our clients are as follows:
East coast – Phoenix Used Clothing, Plummer Community Correction Center, Horizon House Peer Recovery Center, Network Connect, Inc.
West coast – Bridge to Home, Single Mothers Outreach, LA Homeless Shelter.
Samantha Hicks, Corporate Culture and Org. Development Business Partner, handles the charitable contributions at AMS West and LaTanya Warren, Human Resources Manager handles the contributions at AMS East. Both Samantha and LaTanya have the help of hard-working teams that know the community and facilitate the donations. Our drivers, who deliver the donations, get to experience the smiles and gratitude and they do enjoy it. Ultimately our donations team includes clients, client services, nonprofits, and delivery drivers, all feeling good about making the world a better place.
Samantha had this to say regarding the donation process: “How I help decide on the charity has to do with the product being donated and which non-profit can best benefit from that item.”
We are very grateful to our clients who approach us to offer donations of their older inventory. There are also instances where we reach out to clients and recommend donation of their overstock or older inventory. We appreciate every client that thinks of the community and the benefit of donation to people in need. AMS is a B Corporation and we consider the communities in which we live as stakeholders in our decisions.