Best Buy Commends Nonprofit Partner Genesys Works

Best Buy Co., Inc. celebrates today as philanthropic partner Genesys Works is recognized by President Barack Obama as one of the preeminent nonprofit organizations working to improve communities across the United States. President Obama’s identification of Genesys Works came as a result of the newly created White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, formally announced in a media conference yesterday afternoon. Through the new White House program, a $50 million Social Innovation Fund was also established to expand the outreach of promising non-profit programs like Genesys Works throughout the country.

In his message, President Obama highlighted Genesys Works as a successfully developed model demonstrating results and harboring the potential to make progress in education, training, health care and other areas in more communities across the country.

Best Buy recently partnered with Genesys Works through the @15 Change Exchange program. Genesys Works was one of four featured non-profit partners that @15 members could allocate charitable funds toward in exchange for their earned @15 points. Genesys Works tied for first place in the contest receiving 41% of the total votes and was awarded $103,000 from the @15 Fund to support their continued efforts at social change.

ABOUT GENESYS WORKS:

Genesys Works is a growing national non-profit organization founded in 2002. The organization began in Houston and expanded into Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota in 2008 with plans to expand into other major metropolitan areas in the country in 2010. The mission is to enable economically-disadvantaged high school students enter the economic mainstream by providing them with the knowledge and work experience required to succeed as professionals. Students are placed into an intensive training program that prepares them to work in a meaningful capacity in large corporations during their senior year of high school. Immersion into the corporate world creates life change for these students showing possibility that they can succeed as professionals. With more than 30 of Houston’s largest corporations participating, Genesys reaches approximately 200 students per year with more than 95% of the graduates enrolling into college immediately after high school. Many receive major scholarships with the assistance of the Genesys Works College Connection program. For more information, please visit www.genesysworks.org.

About @15

Best Buy believes in the power of teens, and @15 is a new platform to connect with them, give voice to their perspectives, and invest our resources – including the energy and talents of our employees – to turn their ideas into action and support their efforts to lead social change. Teens bring passion and enthusiasm to tackling tough issues. They’re also important to our business – they shop in our stores, and they’re our future employees. There’s a real opportunity to listen to – and learn from – what teens have to say. And through the @15 Fund, we put the philanthropic power of @15 directly into their hands. To learn more, visit www.at15.com.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, China, Europe and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales Kitchen, Bath and Electronic Centers, The Phone House and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.