Give at Checkout

Here's a common scenario: you just spent the past hour adding items to your shopping cart at your local supermarket. You get to the register, place all of your items onto the counter, and proceed to be rung up. Now you're asked to consider making a donation to a charity.  A myriad of questions float through your head before you ultimately decide whether or not to press yes or no.  This form of donating is called point-of-sale donations.

Point-of-sale donations can be a tricky concept to grasp. On the one hand, they offer the public a simple way to donate, they help both the corporate retailer and the nonprofit meet their goals, and they’re relatively straightforward for retailers to try and implement. But how can someone know for sure where their money is going? How does a customer know which donations are legit and which are not? Are these donations even effective?

Myth-busting Point-of-sale Donations

Unfortunately, this decision has been complicated by a harmful myth making the rounds online: the host businesses can use your donation toward their charitable tax deductions. This is false. If you care to, you can claim your donation for your own charitable tax dedication.  

With that myth out of the way, there are other legitimate reasons you may or may not want to engage in point-of-sale donations. 

Reasons to Donate at Checkout

In addition to facilitating small donations, checkout charity is convenient. Busy schedules may not leave time for debating between causes and organizations or sitting down to actually make a donation. With limited effort, you can ensure that you are giving to a solid organization to provide a meaningful contribution in concert with others. 

The flexibility, accessibility, and convenience of point-of-sale donations make them a great option for donors who want to make the most of small donations. If incorporating generosity into your regular routine through checkout charity brings you joy, it is a good fit for you. 

Reasons to Choose Another Donation Strategy

Point-of-sale donations as a concept may not be for you, or specific campaigns may not suit your needs. 

Checkout charity is really centered around the cumulative impacts of many small donations. If you want to give more than a couple of dollars at a time, it is worth spending a little more time to find the organization(s) that really match your giving goals.

If you feel rushed, awkward, or stressed when you are asked to support a cause at checkout, this is not the joyful giving experience you should pursue. You can always use an invitation to donate at the cash register as inspiration for your own giving. You may decide to give to the same organization in the privacy of your own home. 

Even if checkout charity suits your giving style, not every campaign is necessarily the right fit. Don’t donate to point-of-sale campaigns supporting a cause or nonprofit that you would not otherwise deem worthy of your support. It is not always clear how the money for a point-of-sale campaign will be distributed. If you cannot find satisfactory answers about how the money will be used online or by asking during your transaction, you may want to pursue another giving strategy.