Home Depot steers money to help veterans

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By Arielle Kass

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Home Depot Foundation is refocusing its giving on veterans' organizations and rehabilitating houses, a change for the philanthropic arm of the home improvement retailer.

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Phil Skinner, pskinner@ajc.com The Home Depot Foundation is announcing a three-year, $30 million commitment to address issues in veterans' housing.

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In the past, the foundation had primarily donated for new construction -- pledging in 2007 to build 100,000 new homes, for example -- and to that end, given to a variety of nonprofits.

Today, the foundation is announcing a three-year, $30 million commitment to address issues in veterans' housing. Home Depot Foundation president Kelly Caffarelli said the organization is ending relationships with some organizations, like The Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council, to redirect money to its new cause.

"We're shifting as much as we can," she said. "It's a longstanding commitment the company's had. We just haven't talked about it."

In 2010, the foundation donated $36 million to a variety of causes and Caffarelli said she expects that figure to be similar in 2011. The group also gave $43 million in in-kind donations in 2010.

Caffarelli said Home Depot volunteers will make the cash donations stretch further, providing labor for organizations that are receiving the rehabilitation funds.

Community giving will continue, she said, but will often have a focus on veterans' issues.