Build-A-Bear celebrates success with charitable donation

Build-A-Bear has revealed plans to celebrate a decade of recognition as a leading workplace.

The retail franchise has decided to mark ten years of being listed as a ‘good place to work’ by numerous institutions by making a charitable donation to a cause of the workforce’s choice. The cuddly-toy store is proud to have been recognised in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For and to have won a 2-Star Accreditation by Best Companies for ‘outstanding’ commitment to workplace engagement.

Having applied to and been accepted as one of the best places to work in a national listing for ten years running, Build-A-Bear made the decision not to apply in 2019 and instead ran an internal “Company with Heart” survey to discover more about its employees’ and associates’ attitudes and thoughts.

Over 1,000 surveys were completed, with over 90 percent of respondents declaring themselves proud to work for Build-A-Bear, and believing that the franchise “genuinely cares” about its customers.

"As a company on a mission to 'add a little more heart to life,' it was not surprising to see that so many of our associates find the work they do each day meaningful," said Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear’s President and CEO. "Giving back to our Build-A-Bear family of associates and to charitable endeavors will always be a part of our culture, and we are proud to know that every day, around the world, Build-A-Bear makes kids—and associates—smile."

As a company with a long history of charitable donations, Build-A-Bear wanted to find out which charities its workforce most valued. Unsurprisingly, at a company whose customers mainly comprise children, 90 percent of survey respondents listed children’s hospitals as their preferred recipient for a donation.

As a result, Build-A-Bear will share US$10,000 between St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the Beverly Fund. The Beverly Fund is Build-A-Bear’s own charity, established after the passing of a company associate in 2006 to offer financial support to employees who are struggling as a result of factors outside their control. Build-A-Bear will continue to gather feedback and ideas through surveys within the franchise.