Charities Cash In With Small Donations From Shoppers

Food for All, a fund-raising effort by the Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger, took in $1.3-million for charity last year by encouraging shoppers to make small donations at supermarket and drugstore check-out counters.

The campaign, now in its 12th year, features a display of coupons with bar codes in $1, $3, and $5 denominations. Customers can pull one off and hand it to the cashier, who runs the coupon through the same scanning equipment as purchases, so that a contribution can be added automatically to the bill. In stores without scanning devices, the group places canisters for cash donations at check-out counters.

The Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger is a charitable organization operated mainly by people who own supermarkets and other food stores. Last year, the campaign ran from October 27 to January 4, and about 6,000 retailers participated.

Proceeds went to community food banks, job-training centers, youth-services programs, and groups that provide food to AIDS patients.

In addition to the money from the coupons, some stores also make their own gifts to the campaign. To encourage more stores to do so, Philip Morris Companies this year agreed to underwrite the campaign by matching $100,000 in gifts from retailers dollar for dollar.

The program is successful in part because of its simplicity, says Michael Martin, manager of public relations and marketing. “Customers don’t have to fill out anything or give their name and address,” he says. “They just pull off a coupon and hand it to the cashier.”

Another key to the campaign’s success is that it asks a small amount of money from a large number of customers. “People can spend $200 in one trip to the grocery,” he says. “Adding a few dollars to their bill isn’t that much.”

For more information, contact Michael Martin, Manager of Public Relations and Marketing, Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger, 800 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 20006; (800) 307-3237.