Giving Back
Doing good at AEO means more than cutting a check. We believe we have a responsibility to do better…to be better…to build a better world. We are committed to showing the world that there’s REAL power in the optimism of youth by supporting causes that empower youth and by rolling up our sleeves to make a REAL difference in our communities. In 2020, AEO and our customers donated more than $4.9 million to COVID-19 relief efforts and causes that are important to us.
Pittsburgh Promise
Since 2010, AEO has pledged more than $2 million to the Pittsburgh Promise, an initiative dedicated to empowering the bright futures of high school seniors in Pittsburgh. AEO was the lead sponsor of the 2019 Promise’s Senior Signing Day, has hosted a STEM day for high school girls to learn about opportunities for women in technology, and has organized career workshops and events for Promise graduates. The Promise offers up to $20,000 in post-secondary education scholarships to any eligible student who graduates from a Pittsburgh Public School. AEO is proud that a handful of our corporate associates are Pittsburgh Promise graduates!
“I am deeply grateful for American Eagle Outfitters’ incredible investment in The Pittsburgh Promise’s work. They are helping to fuel educational reform and enabling thousands of young people to realize their dreams of a college education. This will not only improve the quality of life in the region, but will also develop a highly qualified workforce that will meet the needs of local employers now and in the future.“
– Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director, The Pittsburgh Promise
COVID-19 Assistance
Together, with the AEO Foundation, American Eagle and Aerie, AEO has contributed more than $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts and has donated more than 1 million facemasks. In addition, 2,200 American Eagle and Aerie gift cards were distributed to boost morale of medical personnel in New York City and Miami, and in celebration of Nurses Appreciation Week, our Aerie team delivered a sweet surprise to nurses and healthcare workers at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx including Aerie totes, gift cards and an ice cream party.
The AEO Foundation established a COVID-19 Assistance Fund for associates and their family members who have been impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, the AEO Foundation issued grants and much needed protective masks and gloves to first responders and local medical centers in our distribution center communities.
No Place for Hate
When tragedy struck at the Tree of Life Congregation in our hometown of Pittsburgh, we turned our pain and sorrow into meaningful action by partnering with the Anti-Defamation League to donate $100,000 to No Place for Hate. No Place for Hate is an ADL program that educates and empowers youth in more than 1,600 schools across the county to prevent acts of brutality and hatred. We know that we have a responsibility to lead by example, which is why AEO believes we must do our part to create positive change in the world.
AEO recently renewed its commitment to the No Place for Hate program, which will enable the ADL to expand this important initiative to 30 schools in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny County during the 2020-2021 school year.
AEO Community Day
AEO and the AEO Foundation are committed to ensuring our communities are vibrant places to live, work and play. Each year associates participate in AEO Community Day, a day dedicated to volunteering and giving back to local communities. Since its establishment in 2013, AEO Associates have logged more than 20,000 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations in Pittsburgh, New York City, San Francisco, Hazleton, Ottawa, Mississauga, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Mexico City. Associates participate in various volunteer activities like park beautification, trash clean up, and working at local food banks. By supporting non-profit initiatives in our communities, we are building a better world for everyone.
Helping Hands
AEO’s Helping Hands Fund is a program that has was established for associates in need, funded by contributions from fellow associates. Support has helped hundreds of associates who have experienced a severe personal tragedy like a house fire, the death of an immediate family member, and disaster relief, among other needs.
In response to the impact of COVID-19, AEO established an Associate Assistance Fund through Helping Hands to support the following:
- AEO Associates and their immediate families who have experienced financial hardship as a result of being diagnosed with the virus; and
- AEO Associates who are experiencing food or housing insecurity or another financial emergency as a result of the current economic circumstances.
NAACP LDF
AE, Aerie, and the AEO Foundation pledged $500,000 in support to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), which fights for criminal justice reform, voting rights protections, education equity, economic justice, and an end to systemic bias and racism. This donation will support LDF’s education equity programs and scholarships for exceptional African American students. Plus, with the help of our customers, we were able to collect an additional $104,534 in donations at checkout, and AEO matched associate donations of $16,149 to local and national civil rights organizations.
