Keene, New Hampshire, is a small city. Small enough, perhaps, that you’ve never heard of it. Located two hours outside of Boston, it is the seat of Cheshire County and home to around 23,000 people. But more notably to those in the toy industry, Keene is also home to Douglas, a company known for making soft plush toys that line the shelves of specialty stores nationwide.
Douglas may be on the smaller side in the toy space, with about 55 employees total, but that hasn’t stopped the company from finding ways to give back to the town in which it is based. The plush manufacturer juggles a variety of initiatives that, according to owner Scott Clarke, provide aid across three distinct areas.
One of these areas is the arts, thanks to Clarke’s personal history and passion for performance. The company has supported music at the Keene-based King State College, for example, and helped fund renovations of a local venue called The Colonial Theatre.
The second aide area? Helping animals. “Because we make [plush] animals, it seemed like a natural connection,” Clarke explains. Over the years, this has manifested as a strong relationship with the local Humane Society.
The third and final area where Douglas concentrates its charitable efforts is the most significant, and perhaps the most obvious, of the three: helping kids. The company donates both cash and its plush toys to aid kids, especially those experiencing hunger. This includes an annual donation of about $30,000 to the United Way, plus an event called “Good Friends.”
This holiday-time fundraiser brings together three local businesses: Douglas, The Savings Bank of Walpole, and radio station 103.7 KNE-FM. Each year, Douglas donates plush toys to the bank, which bank customers can purchase for a $10 donation. The radio station advertises the ongoing fundraiser, and all of the proceeds go to two local, hunger-relief charities called Feeding Tiny Tummies and M.U.C.H. (Monadnock Understands Childhood Hunger). In 2021, this program raised $26,000, while the grand total increased to $36,000 last year.
And, according to Clarke, the Good Friends giving often goes further. “The part that’s even better is that you get a twofer in this because Savings Bank of Walpole has a lot of Toys for Tots locations,” he says. “So people would come in and donate $10 to the charity and then put the toy in the Toys for Tots [bin], and you’ve got a double winner.”
The whole team at Douglas also gets involved with giving back, especially as members of the Keene community themselves. For example, Clarke says the staff took a trip to the local food bank to see how it functions and where some of Douglas’ United Way donation funds go.
“You can send money to a lot of different organizations in the U.S., but if you give locally, you are making a real impact in your own community.”
— Scott Clarke, Owner
Many of these charitable works are documented on a page of the company website, titled “Douglas Does Good.” But that page has no trace of the final, deeply heartwarming donation that Clarke describes. Douglas, he says, has connected with those in the legal system, as well as local police and fire departments, to donate plush toys for kids who have had traumatic experiences.
“[Responders] try to bring something that is calming and soothing to the child. And that connection, our product is right there for that,” Clarke says. “And part of why we’re so successful today is because people have that emotional connection, and they want the security that stuffed animals give them.”
Overall, while Clarke says Douglas’ donations are not as sizable as those of a larger corporation, he knows that staying local is what matters. He encourages other small toy companies to follow suit.
“I mean, you can send money to a lot of different organizations in the U.S., but if you give locally, you are making a real impact in your own community,” he explains. “And I think that’s how people can learn to make connections in their communities and also help their business brand be known. You’re out there giving and trying to share with people that you care about.”
A version of this article was originally published in the 2023 Classics & Specialty Issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
