Guaranteed Rate Donates Over $3 Million to Children in Need Through New Initiative

CHICAGO, Nov. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country, today announces that its employee-driven fundraising effort has donated over $3.3 million to Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization that provides basic necessities to children living in poverty.

Through its new initiative, Guaranteed Love, the company's employees, families and friends raised over $1.1 million in just 10 days. With a two-for-one-dollar company match, Guaranteed Rate Companies donated a total of $3,381,943 to Baby2Baby.

"This is very, very powerful," said Guaranteed Rate President and CEO Victor Ciardelli. "We're seeing so many people in need, with nowhere else to turn. As a company, we are blessed to be in a position to make such a positive difference. We have an amazing group of incredibly generous employees who came together yet again to make a real impact on so many families and children. By working together, we can accomplish amazing things."

With 100% of the funds going directly to children in need, Guaranteed Rate's donation will help provide essential items to over 150,000 children nationwide this holiday season.

The amount donated helps provide approximately 4 million diapers, 80,000 cans of formula, 80,000 packs of wipes, 40,000 warm coats, 40,000 blankets, 12,000 pairs of pajamas and 12,000 toys.

"We are so grateful to Guaranteed Rate for selecting Baby2Baby as the nonprofit partner for its Guaranteed Love campaign," shared Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof.  "The generosity of their employees coupled with the company's match will allow us to distribute millions of dollars worth of basic essentials to children across the country impacted by the pandemic in their biggest time of need."

In the United States, one in three families struggles to provide necessities, such as diapers, to their children. As demand increases during the COVID-19 crisis, Baby2Baby has donated over 40 million basic essentials to vulnerable children. With strong buying power, Baby2Baby is able to buy these essentials substantially below retail cost, more than doubling the value of the donation.

"Karma is a real thing. I'm a big believer that the more you give, the more it all comes back," said Ciardelli, who has instilled the value of giving back into Guaranteed Rate's culture. "We care so much about this that our #1 core value is that We Grow For Good, so the more we grow, the more good we can do to help people in need. This year, we've doubled loan volume to $73B, and tripled revenue from $1B to $3B. We're so thankful to be in a position to help."

Guaranteed Love is one of many initiatives organized by Guaranteed Rate and its 501(c)(3) public charity, the Guaranteed Rate Foundation. As the pandemic impacts families and communities nationwide, Guaranteed Rate is focused on providing more relief than ever by organizing fundraising campaigns to combat hunger and donating more than $4.2 million to over 1,400 individuals through the Guaranteed Rate Foundation.

About Guaranteed Rate Companies

The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 8,000 employees in over 700 offices across the U.S. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Inc. is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States funding $37 billion in 2019.  Founded in 2000 and licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate Companies has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the companies have earned honors and awards including: HousingWire's 2020 Tech100 award for the company's industry-leading FlashClose ^SM technology; Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine's Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Online Mortgage Lender, Best Mortgage Lender for VA loans and Best Conventional Mortgage Lender by NerdWallet in 2019. Visit rate.com for more information.

About the Guaranteed Rate Foundation

The Guaranteed Rate Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides hope and relief to those in need through tailored financial support. Founded in 2012, the Guaranteed Rate Foundation has granted more than $4.2 million to over 1,400 individuals. Funds are provided to help recipients who have been affected by domestic violence, homelessness, medical emergencies, natural disasters and the unexpected loss of loved ones. With 100 percent of overhead expenses covered by Guaranteed Rate, every penny donated to the Foundation goes directly to someone in desperate need of help. For more information, visit: Gr-foundation.org

About Baby2Baby

Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization led by Co-Presidents Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, provides children living in poverty, ages 0-12 years, with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. In the last 9 years, Baby2Baby has distributed over 100 million items to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care, hospitals and underserved schools as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. Every year, Baby2Baby serves hundreds of thousands of children across the country.

SOURCE Guaranteed Rate Companies