The Daily Tell

As part of its @15 program, Best Buy donated $1 million to 16 nonprofit organizations in February. The @15 Exchange was launched in January 2009 as a method of augmenting teen involvement in charitable giving by allowing them to decide how Best Buy allocated its funds.

Teens go to at15.com and play games. They earn points through these games and allocate their points toward a specific organization; the organization that receives the most points receives the donation.

DoSomething.org, an organization promoting volunteering among young people, was the final winner in 2009. Teens Against Bullying, Ashoka’s YouthVenture and Communities in Schools were the winners from the three previous quarters in 2009. Twelve other organizations received donations from the program, including the American Red Cross and the Global Citizens Corps.

Nearly 21.5 million young people between 13 and 15 participated and raised more than 21.5 million points, which earned at least $250,000 for each of the four charities.

"The overwhelming response to the @15 Exchange demonstrates that teens are motivated by opportunities that allow their voices to be heard," said Brian J. Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. "Best Buy is thrilled with the efforts of the nonprofit partners to bring the @15 mission to life and empower teens to use these diverse and powerful voices for social good."

To drive support for @15, Best Buy went to schools and malls across the country to promote the website and its efforts. Not only did the program raise money for the organizations, it increased visibility of the 16 organizations involved. Although only four received money directly from the program, the awareness raised will likely increase donations in the future, according to Best Buy.

Best Buy donated $33.4 million to charities and communities around its locations in 2009. Best Buy also offers scholarships through its @15 program; one-thousand students receive $1,000 scholarships every year from the company.