If you live in the United States, chances are that cashiers often ask whether you want to donate to a cause their employer is currently supporting. Organizations like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America or relief efforts in Ukraine were among the causes retailers championed in 2022.
You may be asked if you’d like to round up your total to the nearest dollar, to add on a small amount or to “buy” a shamrock, heart or some other token that will be displayed in the store with your name on it. Sometimes these prompts are delivered by a credit card reader or a website during an online purchase.
According to Engage for Good, a social impact organization, 77 businesses raised over US$1 million each in 2022 from their customers for charity. These campaigns, the largest in the U.S., raised a total of $749 million. Checkout charity campaigns through eBay, Walgreens and PetSmart are among the nation’s largest.
We conduct research in the field of nonprofit management and charitable fundraising, and we wanted to know more about the people who say “yes” when asked to give at checkout – which we call “impulse giving.”
