The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) is shining the spotlight on the
leaders in our toy donor community. These PowerPlayers exemplify
the foundation’s mission to provide joy, comfort and learning to
children in need through the experience of toys and
play. They have demonstrated their charitable spirit and
inspirational outlook through significant and ongoing support of
TIF’s Toy Bank.
Manhattan Toy
 Manhattan Toy has been a long time
supporter of the Toy Industry Foundation, but 2009 was a very special
year in their Toy Bank giving. Overall, Manhattan Toy has
contributed to The Toy Bank nearly every year since 2003, and regularly
makes multiple gifts in the same year. During the 2009 Holiday Toy
Drive, though, the company made the single largest contribution of the
year, which pushed The Toy Bank over the $50M mark! Due to the
overwhelming support shown by Manhattan Toy, TIF is privileged to name
them a Power Player.
Manhattan Toy’s 30 year tradition of distinctive design
instills ingenuity and originality into every toy. Play is not
only fun, but it’s essential to a child’s cognitive,
emotional, and social development. The Manhattan Toy design
process blends science and whimsy to produce toys that offer children a
rich array of visual and tactile stimulation and unlimited opportunities
for imaginative exploration. There are more than 600 exclusive,
original product designs distributed worldwide.
The Manhattan Toy family of brands include: Whoozit®, Dr.
Seuss™, Automoblox®, Baby-Ville™, Puzzibits™, The
Kreechers Klub™, Groovy Girls®, Baby Stella™, Fraggle
Rock™, Star Willow Stables™, Chicka Chicka Boom
Boom™ and Manhattan Toy®
TIF thanks Manhattan Toy for their ongoing support of The Toy
Bank. Thanks in large part to their generosity, The Toy Bank will
continue bringing comfort and joy to children in need throughout
2010.
Big E Toys
 TIF was proud to name Big E Toys as a Power Player
in 2009, thanks to their generous and ongoing support of The Toy
Bank. This Minnesota-based company’s philanthropic efforts
through Toy Bank contributions continue to make a big impact in the
lives of children in need.
Despite its relatively small size and general lack of
excess product inventory, philanthropy has always been an important
organizational goal for Big E Toys. But with limited time and
organizational resources, the process of identifying worthy charities to
receive its product donations seemed like an overwhelming task at
first. By turning to The Toy Bank, Big E Toys found its answer
– the company has donated every single year since the program
began. In addition, at the close of 2009 the company revealed
plans for a unique “One for One” program – for every
Stumblebum game sold during a special campaign in the first half of
2010, Big E Toys will donate one to The Toy Bank for children in
need.
“I encourage every company, whether a big
corporation or a small upstart, to contribute generously to this
worthwhile endeavor,” says Chip Engdahl – The Big E of Big E
Toys. “We look forward, in the coming years, to growing our
charitable giving through TIF.”
TIF thanks Big E Toys for their unwavering support of
The Toy Bank, and is proud to recognize them as a 2009 Power Player.
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Educational Insights, Inc.
 The Toy Industry Foundation
recognizes Educational Insights, Inc., as a TIF Power Player. Power
Players exemplify the Foundation’s mission through direct support
of TIF initiatives. Educational Insights, Inc., a subsidiary of Learning
Resources, Inc., is a Southern California-based company that produces
and markets educational toys and games, classroom resources, and other
products that promote a fun learning experience, and has shown
tremendous support of the Foundation and its Toy Bank program through
volunteerism and repeated toy donations.
Educational Insights most recently participated in May’s Do
Good Stuff-a-Thon by donating over 5,000 toys. In addition, fifteen
Educational Insights employees attended the event as “Do Good
Stuffers,” working to help stuff thousands of My Stuff duffel bags
with toiletries, blankets, clothing, and toys for children rescued from
abusive homes across the country.
TIF is grateful that Educational Insights has chosen to work with the
Foundation to bring joy, comfort and learning to children in need
through toys and play.
Mattel, Inc.
 Mattel, Inc., a toy industry powerhouse, has
been manufacturing some of the world’s most memorable
children’s toys for over 60 years. Mattel also established
their prominent position in the philanthropic world by creating The
Mattel Children’s Foundation in 1978, along with its employee
volunteer activities and toy donation programs, through which they very
generously support The Toy Bank.
Mattel’s philanthropic programs support children in need around
the world through The Mattel Children’s Foundation, which includes
grant making and employee matching gifts, as well as Mattel’s
corporate contributions, global volunteerism, and of course, toy
donations. Mattel has chosen to work with TIF because of the
shared commitment to directly impact children’s lives – the
main focus of Mattel’s philanthropic mission. In support of
this shared commitment, in 2008 alone, Mattel donated over $572,000 in
product to The Toy Bank – a total of over 30,000 amazing toys for
children in need, including a wide variety of games, books, toy cars,
and more! This is just a fraction of the number of toys that
Mattel has donated each year since The Toy Bank’s inception in
2003.
TIF would like to commend Mattel, Inc. on their incredible global
commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children in
need around the world, and graciously thank them for choosing to
collaborate with TIF in their efforts.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
 A multi-brand company that designs and markets
a broad range of toys and consumer products, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. has
donated an extremely generous amount of toys for children in need around
the world every year since The Toy Bank’s inception.
Most recently, JAKKS donated exhibit samples during the Fall Toy
Preview show in Dallas. In addition, the company contributed
school supplies to children staying in the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald
House for the TIF sponsored Back to School event this past
September. The school supplies served as the perfect addition to
the toy distribution and emphasized TIF's commitment to learning as well
as providing opportunities for play.
JAKKS even houses its own philanthropic division, JAKKS Cares™,
which utilizes resources and employees to assist needy children,
families, and even pets around the world. JAKKS Cares chose to
align with TIF as a Strategic Philanthropic Partner beginning in 2008
because of the shared goal to serve children in need. Through this
partnership with The Toy Bank, JAKKS was able to distribute millions of
JAKKS products to the greatest number of needy children in the
company’s history.
TIF would like to say thank you to JAKKS Pacific, Inc. for their
continued and tremendous support, and praise them for continuing to
impact the globe with their philanthropic efforts.
Karen Scott, President, One Step
Ahead
After her second child was born, Karen Scott left corporate America
to spend more time with her family. While parenting, Scott’s
business savvy was at the forefront of her thoughts. By the time
her second child began receiving hand-me-downs, Karen realized that in
only three years, much of her baby gear had become obsolete and
unusable. In response to this discovery, Karen and her husband Ian
quickly turned feedback from a homemade questionnaire into durable items
that fit seamlessly into families’ lives. Their Chelsea
& Scott creations, along with other parent-tested and approved
items, were then included in catalogs of Karen’s design, One Step
Ahead and Leaps and Bounds. The catalogs have become trusted
resources for parents in search of quality toys, clothing, bedding, and
other children’s products.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their company, the Scotts
decided to give back to the people who keep their business going –
children! Karen chose to donate $1 million worth of their original
products to The Toy Bank because of its expansive reach and ability to
affect children in communities all over the United States and
abroad.
TIF is grateful to Chelsea & Scott for their generous
donation. These innovative items have been distributed to
deserving children nationwide.
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