News

Study reveals how consumers feel about giving to charity at the register

The Change at the Checkout Report found that 71 percent of the survey respondents have donated to charity at the register.

May 15, 2015

Good Scout Group recently conducted an online survey of 3,030 Americans across all age, gender, ethnicity and social backgrounds to determine how consumers really feel about being asked to give to a charity in the checkout line. In recent years, according to a release, there has been speculation in the cause-marketing community regarding the perceived oversaturation and consumer fatigue with respect to charitable donations at the checkout line.

The Change at the Checkout report found that 71 percent of the survey respondents have donated to charity at the register. Also referred to as "donation at point-of-sale," this fundraising tactic has been highly lucrative for nonprofits for over a decade, the release stated. According to the America's Charity Checkout Champions report, $350 million was raised for a variety of causes through charitable checkout campaigns in 2012.

"Whether at a grocer, pharmacy, clothing retailer or even a fast food chain — our study found that consumers ultimately enjoy being given the opportunity to donate to a cause while conducting an everyday activity," Maureen Carlson, president of Good Scout, said in a statement. Consumers surveyed listed "charity brand recognition" as the number one reason they feel compelled to give to charity at the register. The second leading reason was personal connection to the cause.

In the report Good Scout also examined consumer recall — whether shoppers are able to recall the specific charities to which they donated at the register. According to the Change at the Checkout report, nearly half of American shoppers do remember the last charity to which they donated at checkout, and 79 percent felt positive about their contribution.

"Despite perceived oversaturation of charitable donation at checkout campaigns, our findings prove that consumers are not only donating to charity at the register, but they actually like doing so and being asked to do so frequently," Brittany Hill, Good Scout's vice president of research and insights, said in a statement. "Furthermore, nonprofits should look at retail donation campaigns not merely as transactional fundraising opportunities—instead, as true platforms driving organizational branding and consumer engagement opportunities."