WEBVTT - Delivering Good CEO on Providing Record Donations 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.160 This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Bloomberg 0:00:04.240 --> 0:00:08.479 Quick Takes Tim Stinovic on Bloomberg Radio. Our next guest 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:12.080 works for a nonprofit, actually leads the nonprofit. It's called 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:16.919 Delivering Good, which has been bringing together retailers, manufacturers, foundations, 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:20.320 and individuals to help out people affected by poverty and more. 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:22.720 The nonprofit has been doing it for thirty five years 0:00:22.720 --> 0:00:25.439 in counting, and since then, over two billion dollars worth 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:28.960 of donated products have been distributed through their network up partners. 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:30.280 So let's find out a little bit more on what 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:33.880 they were doing and how the pandemic impacted their organization 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:35.800 and the folks that they are trying to help out. 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:38.839 Lisa grew Rich is President CEO of Delivering Good. She 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:40.800 joins us on the phone in New York City. Lisa, 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:44.800 nice to have you here on Bloomberg. How are you. 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:48.879 How are you? I'm doing okay? Uh, certainly nice to 0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:51.800 see kind of our world reopening and getting a little 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:54.120 bit closer to normal, if you will, But we know 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:56.240 the world is still struggling. We're still not over the 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:58.920 pandemics as well. Tell me about the last year and 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:03.040 what it's been like for you all at delivering good Okay, 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:05.840 I feel like we're emerging too, but we have to 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:09.280 acknowledge that the last year has been really tough for 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:13.520 a lot of people. People lost loved ones, people lost jobs, 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:17.160 They had business challenges. We've heard a lot about the 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:21.280 mental health challenges, especially for young people, and we're certainly 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:25.440 all very aware of the continuing racial inequality in this 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:28.920 in our society. So a lot of challenges. But at 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:32.720 the same time, UM, we were able to provide a 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:36.280 record amount of new product donations to people we need. 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:39.560 So these numbers are going to sound pretty incredible. Over 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:44.160 three hundred million dollars worth of new products. That's about 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:50.680 seventy million items. Wow. So tell me how. First of all, 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:52.840 it's a sign of that people needed it and they 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.000 needed the help. So that's the rough side of it. 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.840 But pretty remarkable considering it was not an easy year, 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:01.520 at least until we kind of found our footing too, 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.160 you know, work within supply chains and get things to 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:07.280 where they needed to be. So tell us how you 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:11.720 did it. Well, It was not easy for anyone. Um. 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:14.000 We have a team. We are a small but mighty 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:18.080 team of about sixteen people and they worked literally around 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.520 the clock for days and weeks and months in order 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.680 to get these needed products from where they were to 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.480 the people that they could help. But we don't do 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:31.359 it alone. We do it in partnership with incredible businesses 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:36.079 in the retail subdern manufacturers, UM and people all along 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:40.239 the lines of those organizations. Sometimes it's the CEOs who 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:43.360 are aware of us and who makes a connection. Sometimes 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:46.520 it's the folks in the warehouses who are aware of 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:50.120 some excess inventory that can be used for good. And 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:53.400 so we are grateful to everybody who has played a 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:55.320 world Well, that's what I wanted to ask you, just, 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:56.840 you know, dig a little bit deeper, if you will, 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.800 and unpack it a little bit in terms of it 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:02.320 is not you know, you probably had a lot of 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:06.000 partners who were just dealing with their own crises of 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.520 their businesses or supply chains, or keeping their team and 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:13.720 their workers safe amid the pandemic. How were How did 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:15.840 that all kind of work out and come together? Was 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.639 it a little bit tough the first couple of months 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:21.200 in terms of you know, you being able to do 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.680 what you needed to do because those that you work 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:25.280 with for having a tough time because it's interesting. We 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:28.399 have a lot of conversations with CEOs who basically say, yeah, 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:32.320 back in March, we thought our business was done, and 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:34.560 then we started to figure out how to pivot and 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:37.720 how to do things within a pandemic world where we were, 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.040 you know, basically working from home and figuring it out. 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:46.600 So everything that you just mentioned is absolutely true. The retailers, 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.600 as y'all know, had to close many locations and some 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:51.960 are still in the process of doing that. It was 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:55.400 very difficult. It was traumatic, so those who were left 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.360 to work in those who they had to say goodbye to, 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:02.240 so it was hard for everybody. In addition, there's another 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.400 set of partners that we really need to acknowledge. Um 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:08.160 with sixteen people, you can imagine that we can't give 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:13.440 away seventy million items. And also to affect local communities, 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:17.520 so we have about two thousands local community partners in 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.440 every state in the United States, in Canada and in 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:24.400 other places around the world. They were struggling as well. 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:28.080 They were struggling to keep their employees and volunteers safe. 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:31.400 Many people who volunteer in the organizations that we work 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.360 with weren't able to go. They may be older, they 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:38.160 may have health risks, so they were not able to volunteer, 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:41.400 so there were challenges in every direction, and of course 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:45.880 charitable funding was not always available for everybody who needed it. 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.919 So Lisa tell us about this Women of Inspiration roundtable 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:53.720 series that you guys are hosting. Tell us a bit 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:57.400 about it. Happy to do that, Carol, and I'm also 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:01.080 pleased and appreciative to say that Bloomberg Anthropies is one 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.400 of our sponsors. So thanks to UM BAM and other 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:07.320 genuine sponsors UM, we're able to do something that we 0:05:07.360 --> 0:05:11.120 can't normally do. Usually in June we invite people to 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:13.440 come to a luncheon. It's a fund raising luncheon, but 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:17.640 it's really about celebrating women's leadership. This year, we're still 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.960 not ready for luncheons, so instead, I'd like to invite 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:25.640 your listeners to send three of their lunchtimes in June, 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:29.640 the first three wednesdays of June, so that is June 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:33.400 second to ninth. In June sixteen, UM with us for 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:39.279 an hour and fifteen amazing speakers to be inspired. Coming 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:41.040 out of COVID, I think a lot of people are 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:44.080 reassessing how they spend their time, how they use their 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:48.320 resources with their views and goals are and these speakers 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:53.440 will help share their their has to leadership, their visions 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.320 for the future. And they come from over Why are 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:59.160 they have different industries certainly some three fashions, but sports 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:04.880 and the Miller terry and philanthropy and politics in academia. Um, 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.279 and they're there to inspire all of us. I have 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:09.559 to say some of the people of the lineup, among 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:12.480 my favorite Cynthia Marshall, the CEY of Dallas Mavericks. I've 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:16.160 talked with her. Uh, She's pretty phenomenal and came into 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:18.480 the Mavericks at a time that was tough, you know, 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:24.839 but really has uh reinvigorated uh that association. Uh, the 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:26.920 CEO of Abercamie and Fish. I mean, it's really an 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:30.239 interesting lineup. Tell us what the goal is of of 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:34.760 hosting this this luncheon in this series. Our goal is 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:39.360 really to provide three master cosses on women's leadership and 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:43.240 on everyone charting their course for the future. M We 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.000 know that many of the business leaders who are listening 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:49.719 to this show are very focused on achieving environmental and 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:54.320 social and government goals for their companies. Many employers and 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:58.880 businesses are focused on diversity and equity and inclusion. So 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:03.279 we'll incorporate all of those themes, but we'll also hopefully 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:07.560 share some insights that everyone can benefit from as we 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.840 um as we think about the future. Yeah, no, listen, 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:13.080 there's I feel like it's safe to say we've done 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.640 a fair amount of a vets here at Blueberg that 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:19.200 we're talking about what happens in the workforce, how work 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:23.320 is shifting, the impact on employees, but thinking about you know, 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:27.360 the dual crises of the last twelve thirteen months. Of course, 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:30.720 the hardship impacted by the pandemic, the inequities that were 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:35.960 revealed once again because of it, George Floyd, and the 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.800 inequalities within the work floor workplace. So it is interesting 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:41.880 to kind of have a deep dive into it and 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:45.720 the situations, the problems, the stresses that are facing people 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:48.520 at this point, women in particular, and how they find 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:52.760 their way forward. Absolutely, I think that we in turn 0:07:52.840 --> 0:07:55.560 to cover all of those topics and also to do 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:58.520 that in the context of what we do. We talked 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.000 about big numbers in our last segments, and it's hard 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:04.760 to imagine seventy million of anything, but I don't think 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:09.880 it hard to think about being part of instilling dignity 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:13.320 and hope and self esteem to children, to families, to 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:17.280 individuals who are in need. And so that's the context 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:19.880 with which we do our work. In our vision is 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:22.840 of a more effitable world and which everyone has the 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:25.200 things that they need to have a fresh start and 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:28.080 to overcome adversity. Well, one of the things I did 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:30.440 want to ask you is, you know, what's the impact 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:32.640 that you've seen as a result of the work that 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:37.760 you're doing at delivering good. We see the impact every 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.680 single day. It's certainly tremendous that we are able to 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:46.359 be effective and an efficient business solution for excess inventory, 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:48.800 and we're very proud of doing that and having a 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:52.280 thirty six year history of doing that. But we are 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:55.319 also focused on the individual. So just in the last 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:59.240 few days, we met by zoom with people who have 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:03.920 received things like new coats during this winter and especially 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:07.880 we've been focusing on homeless and disadvantaged youth. And every 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.040 one of these young people has a dream, but they 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.560 may not have had family and other supports around them 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:18.920 to enable them to read this dream. And just having 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:20.880 a coat so that they can get on the school 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.439 bus to return to school after a year, or to 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:28.800 keep the things in their backpack dry when it's raining. 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.480 And these are among people who we met who told 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:35.559 us that it is a vote of conscience. It enabled 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:38.959 them to feel like somebody cares. And these were new 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.720 coats with tags, not something that was a castaway as 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:47.320 a discarded item um, and we are about giving them 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:50.480 hope so that they can fulfill their dreams. Well, it's 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:53.280 interesting too, and maybe the last year has also kind 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.000 of reminded all of us that it doesn't take much 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:59.280 for many Americans who are just living on the edge 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:03.000 financially and just kind of getting by that there isn't 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.200 you know, a rainy day fund so that when things 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.600 go bad or something goes really bad like I did 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.200 this past year, that they can easily tap. And it 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:14.040 reminds us that many people, as I said, on the edge, 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:17.160 and it doesn't take much for people to just all 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:22.160 of a sudden tipped down into poverty. It is very true. 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:25.800 We work with many shelters and we have met many 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:29.000 individuals who have been living in those shelters and they 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.120 will tell us one health crisis of a number of 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:35.320 their family. They may have been formally employed they're no 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:37.520 longer able to hold their jobs and take care of 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:41.120 their family, and there's there's so many different circumstances. We 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:43.880 work with many organizations who work with children in the 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:49.240 foster system, and their lives may be abruptly disturbed when 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:52.560 they are removed from the family situation and they don't 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:55.680 have anything to take use them. So you're right that 0:10:55.800 --> 0:11:00.800 these can be catastrophic events that happen overnight and every 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:02.840 day of the year, there's something that we do do 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.040 about it. Sometimes people wait until the end of the 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:08.840 year in the holidays, and that's great. You see tremendous generosity. 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.280 But believe it or not, today our team was planning 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.880 back to school. Kids are going back to school, which 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.920 is fabulous. There's gonna need to wear them out. They 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.319 didn't stop growing during COVID, so we're in the midst 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:25.240 of a campaign right now to make sure that kids 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:27.920 have what they need to go back to school. Well, 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:30.559 it's an impressive work that you guys are doing and 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:34.840 certainly important work and really appreciate getting an update update 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:36.719 on what you're doing, so Lisa, thank you so much. 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:39.600 Lisa grow Rich, she's president and chief executive officer of 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:42.480 Delivering Good. As we mentioned, they do have an upcoming 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:46.880 Women of Inspiration roundtable series supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:50.040 is of course the philanthropic philanthropic arm of Bloomberg LP, 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:53.120 the parent company of Bloomberg Radio. You can find out 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:57.120 more at Delivering slash Good Delivering hyphen I should say 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.959 good dot org so you can find out more information. 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.960 And just a reminder of how we wrapped up this 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:05.720 trading day. It was an interesting day, chock full of news, 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:10.280 retail news, JP Morgan news, a lot going on, and 0:12:10.360 --> 0:12:13.559 yet markets just finishing off. The lows down about eight 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:15.400 tens of a percent, about the SMP and the down 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:19.120 NAZAC down almost six tenths of a percent. DAL off 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.800 two sixty seven points though, and we had the NASTAC 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:23.480 off about seventy five points.