Target exec: Company still working out details on new giving plan
Updated 1:10 p.m. | Posted 8:47 a.m.
Target Corp. credit card holders are accustomed to seeing 1 percent of their purchases from the retailer go to the school of their choice.
But the company is now shifting its charitable giving focus from education to wellness as it ends its 19-year-old Take Charge of Education effort, which has given away more than $430 million to some 120,000 schools.
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The change will mean less money for schools and more money for some yet-to-be-named organizations that promote good health.
The company still intends to give away 5 percent of its profits, just in a different way, Target Corp. Chief Social Responsibility Officer Laysha Ward told MPR News Wednesday.
"Research shows that our guests consistently identified health and wellness related issues as needs they cared about for themselves, and for their families and the community," Ward said. "This also overlaps with our team members desire for supporting well being related areas."
The Minneapolis-based retail giant hasn't yet decided which organizations it will support in its new philanthropy.