DELIVERING GOOD REVEALS RECORD PRODUCT DONATIONS IN 2020-21

Delivering Good, whose mission is to provide people impacted by poverty and tragedy with new merchandise donated by retailers and manufacturers, has announced that product donations made through the organization totaled nearly $500 million over the last two years, including approximately $200 million in 2021 and a record-breaking $289 million in 2020. The national nonprofit also saw a record year for foundation and organizational grants in 2021, including a $400,000 grant from Islamic Relief USA to help Afghan refugees resettle in the US and an in-kind donation worth $300,000 from technology leader SAP to help Delivering Good build its product distribution platform.

The nonprofit also announced that Gary Simmons has been named Interim CEO, as Lisa Gurwitch will be transitioning to join another organization in February 2022. Simmons and Gurwitch will work closely together over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition. Delivering Good has retained the firm of Berglass + Associates to assist in the search for a permanent President and CEO.

“In 2021, the ongoing pandemic, humanitarian crises and numerous extreme weather events impacted children, adults and families across the world, and we are honored to have been able to bring together donors and our partner network this past year to help distribute nearly $200 million worth of new goods to people in need,” said Andrea Weiss, Chair of Delivering Good, in a statement. “We exceeded all of our organizational projections in 2021, following a record year in 2020, and we are extremely grateful for Lisa’s leadership not only over the past two years, but since she joined Delivering Good. Her tenure was marked by significant achievements in terms of diversification of our board, new community partnerships, technology improvements and more. We wish her much success and welcome our respected former colleague Gary Simmons back as our Interim CEO.”

Gurwitch, who has served as President and CEO of Delivering Good since January 2015, will be joining the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) as Chief Advancement Officer.During her tenure at Delivering Good, the nonprofit marked a number of milestones, including building a diverse board of directors; establishing a strong technology infrastructure with support from industry leaders such as SAP; growing its partner network to more than 1,000 nonprofits in communities around the country; launching a Racial Equity pilot program; and developing the Vision 2025 strategic plan and Delivering Good vision statement.

Simmons previously served on the board of Delivering Good for more than 20 years, including more than four years as co-chair. He also chaired the board of Kids In Distressed Situations, one of the predecessors to Delivering Good. A retail industry veteran, Simmons was formerly CEO of Gerber Childrenswear and chair of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).