Bloomingdale’s Keeps Its Commitment to Philanthropy
Rosemary Feitelberg
7 min read
For Bloomingdale’s, giving back is engrained in its business.
From supporting youngsters with mental health issues to raising money to fight breast cancer and other life-threatening diseases, the retailer has a history of being proactive of helping to curb the issues and illnesses impacting its audience and the public at large. In a recent interview, Frank Berman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, highlighted some of those efforts past and present.
Cause-related marketing and philanthropy aren’t new frontiers for Bloomingdale’s, which chooses partners based on three pillars: inclusivity and diversity, sustainability and envisioning a better future.
Bloomingdale’s is the founding corporate sponsor of the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit that has helped thousands of young people with such issues as anxiety, depression, dyslexia and other mental challenges. When the two parties first joined forces in 2009, mental health was not an openly talked-about issue as it is today. Berman said of the company’s ongoing commitment, “We’re particularly interested in the youth of today that will hopefully be the good citizens of tomorrow and hopefully good Bloomingdale’s customers of tomorrow. And the customers of today have children,” adding that as many as one in six children in the U.S. has a treatable mental illness.
More than 17 million Americans under the age of 18 have a diagnosable mental health or learning disorder, which is more than the children with cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. The Child Mind Institute provides innovative research, clinical care and educational campaigns. To date, Bloomingdale’s has raised approximately $2.8 million for the organization since 2009.
During periodic events with the Child Mind Institute, Berman said he is always inspired listening to children’s personal success stories after Bloomingdale’s-supported programs that led to them being more confident and acclimated. “They’re kids with a bright future ahead of them,” he said.
The longstanding partnership has consisted of various initiatives. Last holiday season, Bloomingdale’s brought back its collectible “Little Brown Bear,” giving a $5 donation to the Child Mind Institute for each $22 bear that was sold. In November and December of last year, shoppers also had the option of rounding up their in-store purchase to the nearest dollar to support the institute, as well as the option to donate at checkout on Bloomingdale’s online store.
Through the years, the retailer has worked on a multitude of charitable initiatives. In 2007, Bloomingdale’s made a $268,100 donation to AmeriCares, a nonprofit dedicated to international disaster relief efforts and humanitarian aid organization. That spring, the company joined forces with Chanel to raise awareness and money for the New York University Child Study Center.
Bloomingdale’s Shop for Good campaign has also benefited scores of organizations. In 2020, for example, the retailer debuted a Lauren by Ralph Lauren special collection inspired by “Wonder Woman” that was sold as part of the Shop for Good campaign that supported 12 charities across the U.S. that celebrate hometown heroes fighting COVID-19.
Bloomingdale’s also works to do things internally with its colleagues, lending support when needed as part of its philanthropic efforts.
Asked if the responsibility of picking up funding where it may have leveled off due to federal, state and local governmental cutbacks is increasingly falling to corporations, Berman said, “We recognize certainly what’s going on in the world, in terms of funding and where some of the challenges exist. We feel it’s important for us. It’s a commitment for us. Our internal slogan for our cause-related efforts is, ‘B the change’ because we’re calling on ourselves to be part of the change for good and on our consumer base. These are the big topics — how do I have a seat at the table and make sure we’re focused on inclusivity and diversity, not just in our marketing, but in the makeup of our colleagues and in the way that we treat each other?”
Through a partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology, the retailer aims to help groom students into being future leaders in sustainability through the Bloomingdale’s x FIT Sustainable Innovation Fund. This new effort is being done in honor of the retailer’s 150th anniversary and the launch of its “B the Change” campaign.
There is also a commitment to giving children of diverse backgrounds the opportunity for education, employment and a healthy mind. Beyond having a solid platform to relay purposeful messages, Bloomingdale’s aims to engage communities through subjects that are important to them, Berman said.
Rewind to 1914, when Bloomingdale’s supported the women’s suffrage movement by working with young school dropouts to ensure they had an education and a career at the company. Fast forward to the ’90s, when the retailer partnered with the former “Today” show host Katie Couric to raise awareness about colorectal cancer — not exactly a fashionable topic — following the death of her first husband. While a decent amount of money was raised to fight the disease, the main message was that people needed to get tested. “People weren’t talking about it. People were dying in silence. They were embarrassed by the symptoms they were having rather than dealing with something that was incredibly important to their overall health,” Berman said.
Bloomingdale’s has been partnering with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation since 2004 and has helped to raise $16.2 million. The alliance was first sparked through Evelyn Lauder. In 1993, Lauder founded the foundation to advance the most promising research related to breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The organization is the largest private founder of breast cancer research worldwide and each year invests millions to support the work of leading medical and academic institutions.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the retailer illuminates its flagship in pink lighting and raises awareness and funds through its Pink Campaign. For a limited time, exclusive products and in-store events are featured. The initiative also helps fund projects for The Carey Foundation, which eases the financial burdens of those dealing with breast cancer diagnosis, and the Marisa Acocella Marchetto Foundation, which assists the uninsured and the underinsured dealing with breast cancer patients and survivors. Bloomingdale’s has enlisted celebrities at different times to draw attention to the initiative. In October 2009, Elizabeth Hurley and Lauder turned up to help light the retailer’s flagship pink to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Estée Lauder Companies Global Landmark Illumination Initiative and to help raise funds.
Always looking for causes that align with the community that it serves, one of the current alliances, for example, is with DonorsChoose, an organization that furthers education by helping teachers and children with the school supplies they need. The partnership started in August 2021 and is in its second year. The retailer has funded 180 projects with nearly $97,000 given to 178 schools through a biannual Shop for Good campaign.
In September 2020, Bloomingdale’s worked with the director and producer Allen Hughes to create a campaign supporting When We All Vote, an organization that encourages voter enrollment. For every purchase of the exclusive “Vote” mask that was designed by Hughes, $10 was donated to When We All Vote.
Bloomingdale’s has also been a partner of Help USA and Mentoring USA since 1998, supporting each group through fundraising, employee volunteerism and direct donations. Help USA specializes in national housing and homeless services, and Mentoring USA, one of its affiliates, is a New York City-based nonprofit that offers mentoring to children between the ages of seven and 21. After Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012, Bloomingdale’s employees pitched in by donating goods and volunteering with Help USA.
Reminded how some consumers may generalize fashion to be frivolous or nonessential, despite philanthropic works, Berman said, “We’re not looking to change people’s minds. Bloomingdale’s the brand is a fabulous recipe. It’s not just one thing. There are multiple ingredients that make the brand what it is today. And what has made it relevant over the last 150 years is the way we curate merchandise, the brands we select, the way we market it, the way we service our customers,” Berman said. “It’s the entertainment. When you come to Bloomingdale’s, it should be an exciting place that engages your senses, that inspires and delights and then educates. Ultimately, it gives you the style that you want for yourself, for your family, for your friends and for your home.”
