Best Buy Co., Inc.Corporate ResponsibilityUnited States


7 August 2009  

Best Buy Announces Results of Teen-Led Charitable Giving Program

Teens Give Away $250,000 in @15 Change Exchange

MINNEAPOLIS, August 6, 2009 – Best Buy Co., Inc. today announced the results of the second quarter @15 Change Exchange, which gives teens the chance to direct $1 million to nonprofits in 2009 by earning points for participating in activities on www.at15.com. The second round of the Change Exchange ended July 30, 2009, with more than 135,000 visits to the site over three months. A total of 550 teen members of www.at15.com allocated their points among four featured nonprofit partners. Based on these point allocations, each nonprofit receives a share of $250,000 from the @15 Fund. Here are the second quarter results:

Ashoka’s Youth Venture: 569,728 points (45%) = $112,268.67

American Red Cross: 373,279 points (29%) = $73,557.09

GRAMMY Foundation: 201,732 points (16%) = $39,752.62

MOUSE: 123,932 points (10%) = $24,421.62

“The @15 Change Exchange is an investment in this country’s next generation of leaders – an investment that will pay dividends for all of us.” said Brian J. Dunn, CEO, Best Buy Co., Inc. “Coupled with the efforts, enthusiasm and creativity of our charity partners, the Change Exchange empowers teens with the tools they need to drive change and make a difference in their communities.”

@15 is open to all teens, ages 13-18, in the United States. Members on www.at15.com earn Change Exchange points by participating in activities such as creating a profile, answering the Question of the Moment, inviting a friend to @15 or writing a blog post on a key issue. Each quarter, teens’ points will be converted into real donation dollars up to $250,000, and participants will be invited to donate their dollars to one of four nonprofit partner organizations focused on social change. The power (and the money) is truly in teens’ hands.

The third round of the Change Exchange began August 1, 2009, with and four new charity partners have been announced. See www.at15.com for full details.

About @15
Best Buy believes in the power of teens, and @15 is a new platform to connect with them, give voice to their perspectives, and invest our resources – including the energy and talents of our employees – to turn their ideas into action and support their efforts to lead social change. Teens bring passion and enthusiasm to tackling tough issues. They’re also important to our business – they shop in our stores, and they’re our future employees. There’s a real opportunity to listen to – and learn from – what teens have to say. And through the @15 Fund, we’ll put the philanthropic power of @15 directly into their hands. To learn more, visit www.at15.org.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, China, Europe and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales Kitchen, Bath and Electronic Centers, The Phone House and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

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Contacts

Best Buy Public Relations
(612)-292-NEWS or

 
 

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