Charitable Contributions Policy

Stripes® proudly understands its role as a business leader in the communities it serves and accepts the responsibility to be a philanthropic leader in these same communities. The Company is committed to seeking and supporting promising programs from non-profit entities that are closely aligned with the Company’s defined charitable giving guidelines.

Purpose of Policy

This policy provides specific guidelines and criteria for measuring the appropriateness of solicited and unsolicited charitable contribution requests and to define the process by which Stripes® will make its decisions and, ultimately, its distribution of funds.

Oversight

All requests, solicited or unsolicited, will be reviewed by the Company’s Charitable Contributions Committee (CCC). Stripes® CMO, Advertising Manager, and Public Relations Coordinator will provide oversight to the Committee to ensure continuity and consistency with the Company’s stated objectives. The CCC will meet quarterly.

Charitable Focus

Stripes® shall focus its charitable efforts exclusively on programs designed to enhance the health and education of youth residing in the communities served by the Company. Contribution applications meeting this definition will be considered for, but not guaranteed, funding. Examples of programs that are included in the Company’s charitable focus include:

· Programs or activities that explicitly address issues that enhance the health and education of children and teens in communities served by the Company.

· Events whose primary focus is specifically related to improving opportunities for healthier and better-educated youth.

· Programs that improve access to, and communication of, information related to the healthcare or education of youth; such as referral services and information resources.

· Programs that directly improve the quality of life of children residing in the Stripes® service area through advances in healthcare and education.

Eligibility Criteria

Organizations with programs aligned with the aforementioned charitable focus should meet the following eligibility criteria:

· Agencies or organizations must provide a copy of their 501(c)(3) IRS designation or other recognized tax-exempt designation.

· Applicants cannot be individuals, labor organizations, or political organizations.

Additionally, Stripes® will not consider the following requests:

· Requests to support annual operating expenses will not be considered.

· Requests for endorsements, seminars, or reunions, or any travel costs associated with such, for any group or individual will not be considered.

· Stripes® does not allow third party marketing materials (i.e., flyers, posters, brochures, etc.) to be displayed on its property.

· Stripes® does not allow use of its property for outside fundraising efforts.

Process

Organizations seeking funding are required to complete the following steps:

Download a Stripes® Charitable Contribution Application from the Stripes® website (www.stripescorp.com), complete and submit the document by mail. The Committee will consider only fully completed applications that directly address the stated priorities of the Company’s charitable giving guidelines, and are received by Stripes® ten business days prior to the end of each calendar quarter.

Applications should be mailed to:

Stripes®
Attn: Charitable Contributions
P.O. Box 9036
Corpus Christi, Texas 78469-9036

Faxed to (361) 884-2494: or

emailed to donation@susser.com

All applications/requests will be logged as they are received and will be reviewed for eligibility.
All eligible applications/requests will be submitted for review by the Charitable Contributions Committee. The CCC will meet shortly after the close of each quarter to consider each completed application and to discuss the merits of each request tempered with the availability of budgeted funding and given other applications under review.
The Committee will provide recommendations to the Company’s Executive Management group for final approval. Late submissions will, unfortunately, not be accommodated.
All applicants will receive decision notification, in writing, within ten (10) business days of review.
A check will be issued for approved applicants within fifteen (15) business days of review.

Special Handling of Smaller Requests

Special handling guidelines have been established to accommodate faster local decisions of smaller requests and to accommodate small gifts-in-kind.

$0 - $25 Donation requests, including coupons, in-kind, and monetary, may be approved by an Area Manager or Division Manager. The request must be to the Public Relations Coordinator for tracking and reporting purposes, with a copy of the application completed by the beneficiary.

$26 - $499 Donation requests, including coupons, in-kind, monetary, or product may be approved by the PRC. Eligibility Criteria must be met to warrant approval.

$500+ Donation requests must be reviewed by the Charitable Contributions Committee.

The Company reserves the right to make changes to these policies at any time.