As part of our relaunch, Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation launched its Global Signature Partners Program. Recognizing the importance of strategic partnering, we sought organizations that serve children in need with a global or national reach.

Through product donations, financial support and global volunteer opportunities, Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation will help these organizations fulfill
their mission of helping children around the world. Throughout the year, more information about these partnerships will be available on this website.

Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Special Olympics currently serves almost 1.4 million persons with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 programs in 150 countries. The Mattel Children's Foundation will provide financial support to Special Olympics, as well as global volunteer opportunities for Mattel employees.

Save the Children is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, an association of 27 independent organizations that provide child-oriented emergency response, development assistance and advocacy of children's rights in more than 115 countries.

The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) was founded by Joe Cristina, a Mattel executive whose desire to help children was inspired by the outpouring of support he received when he disclosed his own HIV+ status . CAAF strives to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children infected with HIV and affected by AIDS. In 2005, Mattel is providing funding to support CAAF's global program expansion to address the growing epidemic of HIV orphans.

In addition, Mattel continues to support CAAF through its active participation in CAAF's annual fundraising event -- Dream Halloween®, a magical night of Halloween-fantasy aimed at entertaining children and their families. Dream Halloween® events take place each October in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York and raise more than $2 million in a single week. Mattel has rallied the support of its employees as volunteers for this event and in some years as many as 300 Mattel employees have volunteered to make Dream Halloween® a reality.

Mattel began a unique partnership in November 1998 when it announced that the Mattel Children's Foundation had pledged $25 million in a multiyear commitment towards the construction of a new children's hospital at UCLA. The hospital, renamed the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, serves hundreds of children every year from around the world who come to this nationally recognized leader in providing care and treatment to children. Mattel will continue its support through its toy donations, volunteers at the Child Life/Child Development Program and sponsorship of the hospital's annual fundraiser, among a number of other activities. For more information click here.

Mattel Chairman and CEO Robert Eckert recently said that this partnership “represents not only a sincere commitment to supporting children in need but also reflects just how crucial these services are to families in the surrounding communities, and beyond. Our relationship serves as a model for corporate involvement in the community and demonstrates how effective relationships can have a positive impact on the lives of children.”

The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) is an organization of approximately 180 children's hospitals in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. NACHRI promotes the health and well-being of all children and their families through support of children's hospitals and health systems that are committed to excellence in providing health care to children. In addition, Mattel and NACHRI have teamed up on a unique toy donation program for all children's hospitals in the U.S. For more information on the National Children's Hospitals Mattel Toy Donation Program, please click here.