The Macy’s x Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) partnership is driven by a shared commitment to youth empowerment and positive societal change. Building on Macy’s heritage of corporate citizenship and its Mission Every One social purpose platform, this collaboration aims to direct $5 billion of Macy’s spend through 2025 towards partners, products, people, and programs that create a more equitable and sustainable future.
Since 2022, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been Macy’s holiday cause partner, with an annual point-of-sale campaign happening across the country in-store and online at macys.com, from November 1 – December 23. Customers at registers in stores across the country have the opportunity to round up their change to support BBBS.
In its second year, the partnership with Macy’s focused on a 360° collaboration that amplified the impact of mentorship across the United States. The specific goals included maximizing mission exposure, raising funds, and driving direct impact on youth empowerment. The partnership achieved remarkable success during the holiday season, raising over $4.7 million through a nationwide fundraising campaign at Macy’s 500 stores and online at macys.com.
By engaging customers, colleagues, and communities, Macy’s and BBBS have intentionally created opportunities for mentorship, innovation, and empowerment for youth across the U.S. The collaboration not only supports the fundraising goals but also highlights the transformative power of mentorship in shaping the future of young people. Through this partnership, Macy’s and BBBS are working together to build a brighter, more equitable future for the next generation
In 2023, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) aimed to build on the success of our 2022 partnership with Macy’s by capitalizing on key moments that could make the biggest impact in communities, generate significant media exposure, and directly contribute to fundraising efforts. Our strategy was centered around expanding local event programming, integrating authentically into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, and prioritizing opportunities for Macy’s employees to engage in and celebrate mentorship.
We expanded our local holiday event programming, increasing the number of events from 20 in 2022 to over 100 across the country in 2023. These events brought together youth (Littles), their mentors (Bigs), families, communities, and Macy’s colleagues, creating meaningful experiences that showcased the power of mentorship. One of the most significant features was the Holiday Breakfasts hosted by over 100 Macy’s stores, where Littles and Bigs participated in activities, shared meals, and shopped together. These events strengthened community ties and provided visibility for BBBS and Macy’s commitment to empowering youth.
A standout element of our partnership was the integration into the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. For the first time, 30 Big and Little matches were selected from a nationwide talent search to perform on the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree float. This performance was a highlight of the parade and was seen by 28.5 million viewers, the largest audience in the parade’s history. This unique experience, made possible by a collaboration with Grammy- and Emmy-nominated conductor Judith Clurman, created lifelong memories for participants and emphasized the life-changing impact of mentorship.
Our campaign also included innovative elements like the "Macy’s x BBBS Little Doodle Collection," an exclusive product line featuring holiday designs by 19 Littles from across the U.S. The collection, which sold out on macys.com, was a success, with 50% of the proceeds donated to BBBS. Others handmade 300+ holiday ornaments for the holiday window display at Macy’s Herald Square, viewed by millions of visitors.
One of the primary challenges we faced in 2023 was the economic landscape, which made fundraising more difficult compared to previous years. Despite a reduction in fundraising vs. 2022 campaign, we exceeded expectations by leveraging Macy’s reach as a national retailer to unlock new ways to embed and amplify our partnership.
Another challenge was maintaining the authenticity of our campaign while scaling it to a national level. By embedding youth voices in all aspects of the campaign—from product design to parade participation—we ensured that the partnership resonated with both new and existing audiences. This approach not only drove brand love but also highlighted the social impact of our collaboration at a critical time of year.
Our work is unique in its 360-degree approach, seamlessly integrating fundraising, media exposure, and community engagement. By expanding our reach and innovating our content and strategy, we were able to create a campaign that not only raised critical funds but also fostered a deep connection between Macy’s, BBBS, and the communities we serve.
Our 2023 partnership with Macy’s successfully met our team’s objectives by leveraging Macy’s extensive reach as a national retailer to raise over $4.7 million in critical funds, surpassing our $4 million goal. This achievement was made possible by strategically embedding and amplifying our partnership across various platforms, ensuring that all stakeholders—customers, colleagues, and communities—were engaged in meaningful ways. We focused on authentically embedding the voices of the youth we serve into every aspect of the campaign, from product design to high-visibility events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. This not only enhanced the campaign’s impact but also highlighted the real-life stories and successes of our Littles, making our mission more relatable and inspiring to a broader audience.
Our innovative strategy to integrate and expand the campaign through a 360-degree approach introduced new and creative content, allowing us to reach increased and diverse audiences through local and national media, digital billboards, and social media. By tying our campaign closely to Macy’s core business and integrating it into iconic events such as tree lightings and national broadcasts, we drove significant brand love and social impact at a crucial time of year, including a segment on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Customers responded positively to seeing a major brand like Macy’s actively giving back, further solidifying the success of our efforts and the deepened relationship between Macy’s, BBBS, and the communities we aim to uplift.
