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Bin Donated is a

Founded in July 2009 by Judson (Jud) Kinnucan, Bin Donated works to connect Chicago-based donation partners to local non-profit organizations, saving these non-profit organizations money from the donations, allowing them to put their money towards their own goals.[2] Not only does Bin Donated donate items to these non-profit organizations, but they also supply the storage and transportation of the goods, allowing any non-profit a chance to get donations. Bin Donated works with any one who wants to help; hotels, schools, offices, and even retail stores. A 55-gallon blue bin is brought to the donation site and can stay for as long as someone wants to collect donations. To this day, Bin Donated has collected over 100,000 pounds of donated items and has saved non-profit organizations over $1 million.^[3]

Mission

The mission of the Bin Donated is to "connect Chicago based business partners to local non-profit partners, channeling donated goods for the communities they serve." ^[4] Also, another important mission is to reduce costs for charitable organizations and help sustain the environment.^[5]

The goal of Bin Donated is to continue spreading the bins throughout Chicago and areas around it and ultimately expanding into cities that will benefit from the collaborative model Bin Donated uses.^[5]

Bin Donated's Team

Jud Kinnucan is the founder and CEO of Bin Donated. He volunteers in many other nonprofit organizations in Chicago and graduated University of Kentucky’s Gatton School of Business with a BS in Economics and a BA in management.^[2]

Geeta Singh is the executive director of Bin Donated, and has been working with it since 2011. Coming from a background of selling real estate, Singh provides marketing and financial advice to the organization.^[2]

Donation Drive Partners

Bin Donated looks for partners with different hotels, businesses, health clinics, and residential buildings to help with donation drives. This can greatly benefit the partners of Bin Donated, as this promotes strategic donations, which can meet business charity goals and create wonderful public relations opportunities. Also, through partnering with Bin Donated, the items that would be otherwise unused are able to be reused, reducing landfill content and add to a sustainability portfolio. Also, since Bin Donated partners with local non-profit organizations, any partner of Bin Donated will directly affect the lives of Chicagoans in need. In partnering with Bin Donated, Bin Donated also offers logo placement and in commercial and residential settings, as well as marketing through active social media. Lastly, any hotel, business, or organization partnering with Bin Donated becomes a distinguished leader through community engagement.^[6]

Hotels

Bin Donated teams up with different 30+ local hotels through their hygiene program. Any unused portions of toiletries left behind in hotel rooms can provide a fresh start to the hundreds of underserved Chicagoans at shelters across the area. Through the hygiene program, Bin Donated also collects select room amenities, including sheets, towels, coffee makers, etc. Items are collected through donation bins that are placed in housekeeping quarters. The organization also develops a report for each participating hotel, documenting the value and pounds of goods that have been repurposed.^[7]

Bin Donated Preferred Hotel Partners

This is a current list of hotels that partner with Bin Donated.^[7]

Companies

Companies can get involved with the Bin Donated organization in many ways. First, they can host a drive to collect items, choosing whatever type of product that they want to collect. In doing this, companies then also have the choice to collect items that Bin Donated has previously collected, or they also have the option to choose a specific charity that they want to support and collect items for that specific organization. Secondly, they can sponsor a driver, which means they can help support a drive in the over 40 buildings and over 13,000 units to which Bin Donated assists. Thirdly, they can engage employees, challenging them to give back to their community. In addition to participating in a drive itself, employees can also choose to volunteer at Bin Donated. Lastly, companies can take part in the Excess Corporate Assets program. Companies are able to help Bin Donated in efforts to preserve the environment and help those in need by donated manufacturing overruns, slightly defective products, outdated inventory, and other excess assets, providing an environmentally and socially responsible solution.^[8]

SMARTBOX Portable Storage

SMARTBOX Portable Storage, a company founded in 2004 and a leader in the portable self‐storage industry, notably helped Bin Donated through donation of both money and service in 2010. Bin Donated was the first recipient of SMARTBOX’s 2010 charitable giving campaign, in which the company committed ten percent of May, June, and July new‐business revenue to Bin Donated. Additionally, SMARTBOX of Chicago also provided eight foot portable storage units in order to assist and support various Bin Donated events and charitable efforts. President of SMARTBOX of Chicago Gregory Kaufman commented, ““As Chicago’s largest provider of eight‐foot, portable storage and moving container solutions, our services will be a perfect fit for Bin Donated. We are proud to share a portion of our revenue this year with such a great group and wish them success as they work to help others.” ^[9]

Dentists’ Offices

Through participation in Bin Donated’s hygiene program, dentists’ offices are able to help contribute essential oral hygiene supplies to those in need. Bin Donated partners with 50+ dental clinics throughout the Chicagoland area to collect unopened oral hygiene items like toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, and toothbrushes. Bin Donated provides every participating dentist office an official report recording the value and number of pounds conserved through the donated goods.^[10]

Residential Buildings

Bin Donated currently works with over 40 residential buildings, totaling over 13,000 units collecting themed donations for non-profit organizations. Bin Donated targets specific items at different times of the year; for example, during the summer, school supplies are collected to help school children in the fall. The donation barrel provided is placed in a high traffic area, usually a common space, such as a foyer or lounge. The donation drive information, including the items specifically requested is clearly marked on the bin. Each Bin Donated barrel sits on site for approximately 2-3 weeks.^[11]

Non-Profit Organization Partners

This is a current list of non-profit organizations partners to which Bin Donated provides its services and assists through its donation drives.^[12]

Impact

In the three short years Bin Donated has been around, they have partnered with almost 70 nonprofit organizations in the Chicagoland area, helping causes such as homelessness, education, animal welfare, and social services. It helps these organizations adopt the triple bottom line model: protecting the environment, social well being, and economic prosperity.

Due to all of the items collected by Bin Donated it has been able to divert over 100,000 lbs of waste from landfills, protecting the environment by keeping it cleaner.^[3]

Waste Prevented

Over 100,000 and almost $1 million worth of donations have been saved from landfills and delivered to those in need.

Social Media

Bin Donated also actively uses social media in order to inform its followers about the organization. Bin Donated uses Twitter^[13] and Facebook^[14] to let their followers know about upcoming events and substantial donations.

Also, the organization has an active YouTube^[15] channel in order to host promotional videos and to document various donation drives.

Contact Information

Mailing Address
720 N Larrabee
Unit #1408
Chicago, IL 60654

Phone
312-532-8937

References