Convenient and impactful, checkout donations are on the rise. Learn how to ensure transparency and trust when contributing at the register.

Checkout Counter Contributions

On November 25th, BBB Wise Giving Alliance released the Give.org Donor Trust Report 2024: Trust and Giving Attitudes Across U.S. Regions and Religious Affiliation, offering a glimpse at how participants with different self-reported religious affiliations (and from different U.S. regions) vary in their charity trust and giving attitudes. The report also included questions about self-reported giving over the past year.

When considering alternative channels used to donate during the past year (including mailed appeals, social media appeals, fundraising events, and 10 other options), participants most frequently report contributing at the checkout counter (23.7%), through a charity’s website (23.5%), or as a response to mailed appeals (17.0%).

Solicitations at the checkout counter make giving convenient and can elicit solidarity for those who have less at a timely moment. Last year, Engage for Good issued a biennial report, America’s Checkout Champions, which showed that American retailers raised more than $749 million for charities at various point-of-sale campaigns during 2022. Of the campaigns they surveyed, 67% involved consumers rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar with the overage going to charity. Other checkout counter options include asking for a specified donation amount to be added to the amount paid by the consumer or purchasing a paper icon for a fixed dollar amount that would be displayed in the store.

While we celebrate all forms of generosity, over-the-counter contributions rarely offer a true connection or opportunity for engagement between the donor and the benefiting charity. On the other hand, they provide another giving option that can cumulatively raise significant sums.  To assist both consumers and retailers, BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following.

Checkout Counter Donation Tips for Consumers:

• Look for clarity in the ask. See if the retailer specifies which charities will receive the collected funds. If the campaign just references a cause, such as breast cancer, this may make it more difficult to find out how your donation will be used.
• Don’t assume the charity has been vetted. If a specific charity has been named, we encourage potential donors to take the time to verify the trustworthiness of the selected charity. Visit Give.org to see if the organization is a BBB Accredited Charity (i.e., meets the 20 BBB Charity Standards.)
• If unsure, don’t be pressured to donate immediately. Be wary of excessive pressure to donate, even at the register. If interested, you can always donate at your next visit, after you’ve had a chance to find out more.

Advice for Retailers Considering Checkout Counter Donations:

• Make charity arrangements in writing. For various reasons, a company should have a written agreement with the specified charity giving the company permission to use the charity’s name and/or logo, specifying arrangements for when funds will be sent, and confirming that the charity will approve the disclosures made to consumers/donors in the campaign.
• Verify accuracy of disclosures. Campaign transparency will be appreciated by customers but remember that they generally are the ones making the donation. The company usually serves as a go-between and forwards the cumulative funds that have been donated to the charity recipient(s). In 2022 a lawsuit was filed against a major retailer by a consumer who alleged the language used in a point-of sale charity campaign misled them.
• Check out potential charity participants. Before engaging in a point-of-sale donation option, visit Give.org to find out if the potential charity partner meets the BBB Charity Standards.

Heart of Giving Podcast – GivingTuesday CEO, Asha Curran, Provides a Behind the Scenes Look at their Success

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features our annual GivingTuesday episode with its CEO, Asha Curran, which has helped raise over $3 billion across 105 countries. Curran describes how everyday acts of generosity create lasting community transformation.

Explore Three of Our Latest Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Cross Catholic Outreach
• One Percent for the Planet
• Task Force for Global Health

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.