Our Donation Philosophy. Our Policy for Financial and In

Our Donation Philosophy.
Mickey Marden, our founder, was a firm believer that if a company operated successfully, it had a
responsibility to those communities in which its employees, customers and their families lived and
worked. He believed that an essential component of corporate responsibility was to provide aid
to organizations which offered needed support within these communities. This aid could be in the
form of financial support to making available employees’ time as well as their varied expertise!
He also advocated giving priority to organizations that provided assistance to many, those who
promoted education and those whose works directly benefited children.
Today, this philosophy stills holds true! In an effort to encourage its employees to participate
in annual United Way campaigns throughout Maine, Mardens; matches dollar for dollar all
employee pledges. Although this match varies from year to year, it typically is in the $50,000
range. Mardens established the Mickey Marden Scholarship Fund at Kennebec Valley Community
College. Over 1 million dollars has been donated to this scholarship fund to assist deserving
students who otherwise could not afford to continue their educations. Employees volunteer their
time in different capacities ranging from piloting Angel Cancer Flights to serving on various local
and state charitable organizations.
Our Policy for Financial and In Kind Donations.
Please note that with unlimited requests and limited funding, it is not possible to contribute
to all of the great efforts taking place in our communities. Due to the volume of requests we
receive, we are not able to respond to proposals that do not meet our criteria. In making funding
decisions, Marden’s will prioritize those organizations whose primary activities align closely with
our donation philosophy and whose programs have proximity to Marden’s retail stores.
• The applicant must be a qualified 501 (c) 3 organization or be a duly registered non profit
charitable organization.
• The applicant must promote education, literacy or support the development and overall well
being of children.
• The applicant must not be a third party or professional fundraiser.
• The applicant must request the donation in writing.
• The request must not be a solicitation to advertise.
• The applicant must not have submitted a request within the past 12 months.