For one distributor, selling promo is about more than just building brand recognition or thanking customers – it’s about saving lives.

And DLA Promotions (asi/181551) just hit a big milestone along the way: more than $250,000 donated to the nonprofit Donate Life America, which works to educate the public on organ, eye and tissue donation and encourage people to register as donors.

The Richmond, VA-based distributor was founded about three years ago as a wholly owned subsidiary of Donate Life America. That business structure means that DLA Promotions has donated 100% of its proceeds from selling promo back to the nonprofit ever since.

“By providing what businesses need every day, we are honored to support Donate Life America and use promotional merchandise for the greatest sustainable cause ever – increasing awareness and participation in organ, eye and tissue donation,” said Barrett Hubbard, CEO of DLA Promotions. “Our clients are buying swag and saving lives.”

DLA was created with the goal of creating a sustained source of income for Donate Life America while also meeting a practical need, Hubbard previously told ASI Media.

Each of the dozens of Donate Life America chapters around the country needed promotional items as part of the process of organized donations and donor registration, and one of the nonprofit’s directors started to think about what it would take for that project to move in-house. Now, the distributor works with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local mom-and-pop shops, all with the goal of giving back – which can be a very attractive model for promo end-buyers, Hubbard said.

According to Donate Life America, there are more than 100,000 people currently waiting for organ transplants in the United States, with another added to the list every eight minutes.

“Reaching this $250,000 milestone is a testament to the dedication of our team,” said Hubbard, “and the generosity and foresight of our clients wanting to seamlessly give back.”