Your organization can benefit from grocery store fundraising programs every time your supporters order food & grocery deliveries.
We’ve rounded the bend past the halfway mark of 2021 and the world is starting to look a lot more like it used to. While not everyone is booking a summer trip to Paris, many folks are gathering at picnics, parks, beaches, and house parties across the country.
The commonality of all of these get togethers? Food. Many parents have heard of passive fundraisers where the host restaurant donates a percentage of their profits on a certain night to a predesignated cause. But have they heard of other food and grocery store fundraising programs that can benefit their school, team, club, or charity?
Here are three such programs that create ways you can fundraise with food deliveries and grocery stores.
- Restaurants that give back:
As we mentioned, a great way to create a light-lifting fundraising program is to inquire at a favorite Mom and Pop restaurant to see if they host give-back nights. Think of places that are on every parents’ radar...where do you all gather together after chorus recitals, band concerts, and games? One volunteer could easily manage this program. Simply scout the restaurant, get your donation percentage agreed upon via email, and create flyers and emails to promote the night. Collect the donation from the restaurant and you’re good to go.
If your community is spread out, or in a more rural setting, you may want to consider a restaurant delivery program like the one Little Caesars offers. Select a volunteer to manage the online process. They sign up for an account, and invite people to order pizza kits that will be delivered to the homes of everyone who purchases. Each fundraiser runs for four weeks. During this time, supporters purchase online with a credit card and their order is shipped by FedEx directly to their front door. After the fundraiser concludes, it takes about another two to four weeks for the funds to be received.
Programs like these are a great way to get your fundraiser organized and deployed easily as they don’t require everyone to be at the same place on the same date. They are also flexible in that they aren’t school-exclusive fundraisers.
2. Grocery stores that give:
Another way to incorporate food and grocery store fundraising programs into your school’s efforts is by signing up with a specific grocery store. It’s important to note that each region of the country is beholden to different parent companies for their stores and will have subsequently differing rules for participation and perks for your organization. Start by checking out the website of the largest grocery retailers in your area. Be sure to do your research thoroughly, a lot of retailers are changing their programs after supply chain issues in the past year--don’t assume just because you’ve heard of a program in the past that it is still operating. Most of these programs work exclusively for schools--if you need a specific fit for a team or club, you may have to look elsewhere.
In the south, Publix is a popular grocery chain that boasts earnings from the thousands into the millions by state. If your school is already part of the program, you simply sign up online, begin shopping and your contributions are tracked via your phone number.
If your school is not yet a part of the program, it would likely take one volunteer a few weeks to work with a liaison from the school to get all of the appropriate paperwork filed and processed. From that point on, a volunteer would have to promote the program and individuals would have to sign up and use their phone number at check-out for tracking. Once a school reaches $250 in earnings in one quarter, a check will be mailed to the school.
3. Grocery delivery that earns for your school
If, like a lot of busy folks, you prefer to order your groceries online, consider a program like ShopRaise. This program is less restrictive than others and can benefit teams and clubs as well as schools. Users can sign up individually and begin shopping to earn for their designated cause(s), or a volunteer can create an account for the school, team, or club and then invite supporters to use it.
Regardless of which use case applies to you, the process is the same from the sign-up point forward. Each user gets the ShopRaise app on their mobile, tablet or computer, shops at any of the 1,000 participating retailers and a portion of their purchases are donated back to the school, team, or club they designate. ShopRaise will deliver an electronic check via verified email to the administrator of the account once it reaches $50.
ShopRaise is frequently adding new retailers and currently works with food and grocery delivery providers like Albertsons, BJ’s, Blue Apron, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chicago Steak Company, Cost Plus World Market, Costco, Darden Restaurants, DoorDash, Drizly, eMeals, FreshDirect, Full Circle Farms, GrubHub, Instacart, Nature Box, NutriSystem, Postmates, Restaurant.com, Safeway, Stop & Shop, and Walmart. The app will tell you what incentive is offered from each retailer.
Whichever food or grocery store fundraising program you choose, be sure to find the right fit that works for you!
