Press release: Round-it-Up Program
Immediate: Information contact: Greg Lessard
C: 603 856 5730, greg@concordfoodcoop.coop
Co-op Program Turns Pennies into $31,000 for Nonprofits
CONCORD – The Concord nonprofit community is ecstatic about the new “Round-It-Up at the Register” program launched by the Concord Food Co-op in April 2019.
From April through year’s end, $31,495.00 has been given to local nonprofits thanks to the Round-it-Up at the Register program.
Shannon Camara, Director of Special Events & Educational Outreach at Pope Memorial SPCA, the December 2019 nonprofit Round-It-Up recipient, saw the check for $6,029.00 and said, “I am flabbergasted. The support from the Co-op and the community is amazing! Thank you so much for your continued support that we cannot do without.”
The Co-op’s Round-It-Up at the Register program is an easy way for Co-op shoppers to donate to area nonprofits that are making the Greater Concord community a better place. The program provides shoppers an opportunity to help local community-enrichment organizations by making small-change donations, which accumulate into a meaningful contribution for the recipient. Round-It-Up at the Register empowers shoppers to round their Co-op purchase up to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to the designated nonprofit for that month.
The program’s inaugural month of April 2019 raised $455.00 for NOFA NH. From then on, donations surged as public awareness of the program grew. Monthly donations have averaged $3,000.00 with the most successful month (December) raising $6,029.00 for Pope Memorial SPCA. Additional 2019 recipients include: Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, Community Action Program of Belknap Merrimack County, Intown Concord, Crisis Center of Central NH, Friendly Kitchen, Friends Emergency Shelter and CATCH Neighborhood Housing.
“This program has been a huge success,” said Greg Lessard, Director of Development at the Concord Food Co-op. “It is amazing that small change can add up to a very meaningful check for nonprofits. It is also a wonderful opportunity for nonprofits to remind the public of the good work that they do in the community. The results have been so incredible that new nonprofits contact the Co-op each week to ask how they can become part of the program,” Lessard added.
Co-op customers chose the recipients of the 2020 Round-It-Up at the Register program. In July 2019, Co-op customers nominated potential 2020 nonprofit recipients by putting the organizations’ names on an in-store list. Sixty-eight nonprofits were nominated. Throughout August, each time a shopper Rounded-It-Up at the Register they were provided with a heart sticker and cast their vote by placing it on a large poster with the list of nominees. “As a cooperative, the Co-op is owned by its Members who get to vote in our annual and special elections. Naturally, we felt that our customers should be the ones to vote for and determine the Round-It-Up beneficiaries,” said Lessard.
The twelve nonprofits with the most votes became the 2020 monthly recipients. January’s recipient is NAMI NH (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Crisis Center of Central NH is February’s recipient, followed by Concord Robotics (CHS) in March. Concord Robotics is a local nonprofit organization that looks to empower students interested in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) through the FIRST Robotics program.
Victoria Yang, Co-Captain of Concord Robotics Class of 2020, said, “‘We are thrilled to be a recipient of the Round-It-Up program hosted by the Concord Co-op because it perfectly represents how the community comes together to support our mission in inspiring students in the Greater Concord Community in STEM! Money from the Round-It-Up program will be used to purchase parts and resources for the CHS Robotics Team, which allows high school students to experience engineering and design principles first hand. In addition, the money will go towards outreach efforts to show the impact FIRST Robotics has had on our students and for our students to contribute back to our community.”
The complete list of Round-It-Up at the Register 2020 recipients, and more information about the program, can be found on the Co-op’s website: http://concordfoodcoop.coop/
In June of 2020, look for Co-op in-store, e-news and social media notifications for voting for 2021 participants.
