Our Philanthropic Partnerships
Our work with nonprofits drive the Play it Forward spirit for Mattel’s global philanthropy. Our partners serve children and families while harnessing our resources through existing programming and offerings. Collaborations between our brands and nonprofits also bring our philanthropic mission to life.
Save the Children
Mattel has supported Save the Children for almost 20 years and has donated more than $22 million for children. From responding to disasters and emergencies to investing in Save the Children’s summer education programs, Mattel and Save the Children share a commitment to delivering play to the children who need it most. In the U.S., Mattel supports Save the Children’s early education, summer and after school programming in rural America. Internationally, donations benefit Save the Children’s programs across education, health and child protection.
In 2023, in conjunction with the Barbie Movie and in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, we worked with Save the Children to support girls’ empowerment and help girls everywhere achieve their dreams.
Make-A-Wish®
Mattel helps to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses around the world. At Mattel, we have brought our most iconic brands to life through the lens of a some of our biggest (and even littlest) fans. When approached by Make-A-Wish to help grant a child’s wish, Mattel employees pour their creativity into that child’s wish experience, bringing to life the Play is the Way spirit in the most special way.
To find out more about Make-A-Wish Los Angeles please visit https://wish.org/la.
Boys and Girls Club of America
Mattel partners closely with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders. Mattel employees serve on local club boards, engage local clubs in mentorship activities and supported the organization’s annual Youth Leadership Keystone Conference. Each year, Mattel engages specifically with Boys and Girls Clubs to give back during Mattel’s annual Play it Forward Global Volunteer Week, when hundreds of club kids join in on epic play dates on Mattel campuses.
Barbie Dream Gap Project
As the original girl empowerment brand, Barbie launched the Barbie Dream Gap Project to level the playing field for girls globally by giving them the resources, inspiration, and support they need to believe that they can do or be anything.
The Barbie Dream Gap Project was established in March 2019 with a $250,000 donation — and since then has given over $2 million to support girls and enable them to reach their full potential.
Save the Children
Mattel has supported Save the Children for almost 20 years and has donated more than $22M for children. From responding to disasters and emergencies to investing in Save the Children’s summer education programs, Mattel and Save the Children share a commitment to delivering play to the children who need it most. In the U.S., Mattel supports Save the Children’s early education, summer and after school programming in rural America. Internationally, donations benefit Save the Children’s programs across education, health and child protection.
In 2023, in conjunction with the Barbie Movie and in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, we worked with Save the Children to support girls’ empowerment and help girls everywhere achieve their dreams.
"Save the Children is grateful for Mattel's continued partnership. Year after year, through Mattel’s Play it Forward initiatives, Mattel employees have stepped up to ensure play is an essential part of childhood for all children. Together, we reach children impacted by emergencies and crises all over the world, including in the US, through our early learning programming and annual Make Summer Fair campaign.” – Janti Soeripto, President & Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children U.S.
Make-A-Wish
Mattel and Make-A-Wish have a longstanding partnership in granting children’s wishes all over the world. Throughout the partnership, Mattel and Make-A-Wish have brought our most iconic brands to life through the lens of a some of our biggest (and even littlest) fans. When approached by Make-A-Wish to grant a child’s wish, Mattel employees pour their creativity into that child’s Make-A-Wish moment, bringing to life the Play is the Way spirit in the most special way.
Boys and Girls Club of America
Mattel partners closely with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders. Mattel employees serve on local club boards, engage local clubs in mentorship activities and supported the organization’s annual Youth Leadership Keystone Conference. Each year, Mattel engages specifically with Boys and Girls Clubs to give back during Mattel’s annual Play it Forward Global Volunteer Week, when hundreds of club kids join in on epic play dates on Mattel campuses.
Barbie helped raise funds through a campaign hosted by GoFundMe to support nonprofit partners with a mission to fuel girls’ equality through education and mentorship opportunities.
Barbie directed its annual donation to NAACP Youth Programs to directly make a difference in Black communities and fund additional research to identify actionable solutions to close the dream gap for Black, Indigenous, and people of color girls.
In collaboration with New York University (NYU), Barbie funded a two-year fellowship awarded to an NYU postdoctoral fellow who is researching what the dream gap means for girls and how we can work to close it. Preliminary findings are expected later in 2021.
Barbie has also collaborated with the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA to develop a curriculum that addresses issues perpetuating the dream gap. This was initially tested in an elementary school and implemented in the Los Angeles area, but, more recently, is being developed into a digital curriculum to be deployed at various test sites at schools or after-school programs across the United States.
In 2020, Mattel announced the creation of the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program in partnership with Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment (WIT). The mentorship program, the toy industry’s first for women, was launched at the 2020 Wonder Women Awards ceremony, an annual celebration of the industry’s female leaders.
The program is designed to advance career growth across the toy industry through personalized one-to-one mentor/ mentee partnerships that match seasoned and influential leaders with women who are focused on honing their leadership skills, building their network, and advancing their careers. It also includes coaching, professional development, and learning.
Underwritten by the Mattel Children’s Foundation and named after Ruth Handler, Mattel’s co-founder and creator of the Barbie brand, the program is designed to be company-agnostic.