Toy Companies Unite to Contribute $1.3 Million in Support for Children in Need through The Toy Foundation™

Funds Collected at Toy of the Year® Awards and Toy Donations from Toy Fair® Exhibitors Will Help Deliver the Comfort of Play to Children Globally

NEW YORK, NY | March 11, 2025 — There is immense positive impact when the toy industry unites behind The Toy Foundation™ to deliver the power of play to children when they need it most. Last week, during the 25th Anniversary Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards and throughout Toy Fair®, both held in New York City, $1.3 million in toy donations and financial contributions were generously donated by the toy community in support of children in need around the world.

Play is more than fun and games; it provides comfort, joy, and hope, and it is critical for all children to have access to play. As the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association™, The Toy Foundation is the only toy industry-wide initiative uniting the philanthropy of companies of all sizes to benefit children. To date, The Toy Foundation has delivered play to 35 million children in under-resourced communities, affected by disasters, and undergoing medical treatment, bringing them immeasurable comfort during difficult times.

The TOTY Awards are a key industry fundraiser, with all proceeds from the event and awards program supporting The Toy Foundation’s work. Nearly 700 toy industry professionals joined the celebration on the evening of Friday, February 28; their attendance, awards activity, participation in the auction, and financial donations throughout the event helped raise $900,000.

The TOTY Awards also served as the kickoff to the 119th Toy Fair, where nearly 850 exhibitors showcased the hottest new toys for 2025 to buyers and trade guests from Saturday, March 1 through Tuesday, March 4. At the close of the marketplace, hundreds of these companies donated toys and furniture from their booths to The Toy Foundation, all of which will directly impact 35,000 children and families. The items collected are being distributed through TTF’s partner, World Vision, to qualified non-profit organizations, schools, and children’s hospitals nationwide.

“We are proud to work on behalf of the entire toy industry to bring the benefits of play to children around the world,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “Thank you to all who joined us at the TOTY Awards and donated brand-new toys at the close of Toy Fair. The impact we are able to create together through your support is extraordinary.”

The Toy Foundation extends a special thank-you to TOTY presenting sponsors Amazon, Hasbro, and Mattel, each of which took to the stage during the awards to spotlight TTF’s Toy Chest program, the only industry-wide toy donation initiative, and the Play Fund program, the only industry-wide funding initiative. Executives from each company highlighted the critical need for both programs to comfort children when and where they need it most, and the opportunity for the industry to come together to make a difference in the lives of children.

The Toy Foundation also extends its gratitude to TOTY vision sponsors Bandai Namco Foundation of America, BBC Studios, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Cra-Z-Art, Jazwares, Just Play, The LEGO Group, Moose Toys, P.M.I. Trading and Enterprise, Spin Master Corporation, and VTech Electronics North America.

The Toy Foundation works with the toy industry year-round to place toys in children’s hands, fund play programs at children’s hospitals, and respond quickly in emergency situations. There are immediate opportunities for companies of all sizes to get involved and advance the industry’s collective impact. Contact TTF staff to learn more.

Follow The Toy Foundation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for programmatic updates and to learn more about the toy industry’s impact delivering play to children when they need it most.

The Toy Foundation (TTF) is a 501 (c)(3) children's charity and philanthropic arm of The Toy Association. The uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need, TTF works with small, medium, and large companies to create a world where every child experiences the comfort, joy, and extraordinary physical, emotional, and educational benefits of play. Thanks to the toy industry’s support, TTF has delivered play to more than 34 million children in need around the world.

Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the business trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $157.5 billion, and its roughly 900 members drive the annual $42 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry's voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play's positive impact on childhood development. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, governments, consumers, and the industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.

As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair™ in New York City; hosts marketplace activities in Los Angeles; engages in state, federal, and international advocacy on behalf of its members; supports the inventor and design community through People of Play™ and its numerous assets and events, including the consumer-facing Chicago Toy & Game Fair; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America's widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard. The Toy Association's philanthropic arm is The Toy Foundation™, a 501 (c)(3) children's charity that acts as the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry. To date, The Toy Foundation has delivered the joy of play to 33 million children in need worldwide.