Lawrence GiveBack program already paying out to local charities / LJWorld.com

Archive for Wednesday, July 8, 2009

July 8, 2009

Cards help local charities

About 7,700 people are using the Lawrence Giveback card to donate to charity. Enlarge video

Lawrence nonprofit agencies are getting their first glimpse at how a new free dining card program is paying off.

Patrons of local, independently owned businesses have generated $20,000 in charitable contributions for multiple organizations since the inception of the Lawrence GiveBack program, which started in late February.

Participating establishments said they’re pleased by its success and hope it continues to grow.

“The more people become aware of it, the better it’s going to be,” said Doug Holiday, owner of Bigg’s BBQ, 2429 Iowa, one of 17 Lawrence restaurants that participate in the program. “If people start tuning in on that, it’s going to help our economy.”

The confederation of restaurants, known as the Lawrence Originals, and Checkers grocery store are participating in the program. Each time a patron presents a free GiveBack card at one of the businesses, the business donates money to a local charity of the cardholder’s choice.

To date, about 7,000 people carry the card and have spent about $1.3 million at the participating businesses, said Constance Wolfe, who is paid to manage the GiveBack program.

The restaurants donate 5 percent of food bills, and Checker’s donates 1 percent of grocery bills, to the cardholder’s chosen charity. The cards are available at the participating restaurants and charities, which are listed at the program’s Web site, lawrencegiveback.com.

“People are using it, but I think it will continue to grow as people see the amount of money that is going to go to local charities,” said Hilary Brown, owner of Local Burger, 714 Vt., which participates in the program.

Wolfe said the program has started cutting the first checks to participating charities, many of which are searching anywhere they can for money, as they deal with budget cuts and rising costs.

The payoffs, which were celebrated at the Fourth of July festival the groups sponsored downtown, been highest for the Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th St., which received a check for $5,700 through the program.

“Our costs are huge, so having some extra money come in really makes a difference,” said Midge Grinstead, humane society executive director.

National Public Radio and Habitat for Humanity were each issued $1,300 checks. Other checks have yet to be cut, Wolfe said.

Diners, themselves, also are rewarded for participating in the program. They receive one point for every dollar spent at the participating restaurants. For every 200 points collected, they’ll have $10 added to their card to spend at participating businesses.

Each quarter, Checkers will place dollars on the card equal to 1 percent of total spending at the grocery store.

Discussion

LJWorld.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.

8 July 2009
at 7:21 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

GetAlongGang (Anonymous) says…

This is a great program. Glad to see deserving groups and schools getting badly needed funds.
8 July 2009
at 10:34 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

Ohyasee (Anonymous) says…

I already used my Give Back and recieved my 10 Doller's. I used it for $10. off my total Bill at Checkers! I hope more local bussiness will be getting involved!
9 July 2009
at 11:15 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

vermont (Anonymous) says…

They're great! You get to choose what charity you want your proceeds to go to. I got mine at the Chamber of Commerce.
9 July 2009
at 1:29 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

Budgets_Smudgets (Anonymous) says…

I would consider participating, if I knew a little more about how much of the benefit goes to charity, and how much goes to salary and overhead of the program. Is the $20,000 net to the charities, or does it include some of this program overhead.

After all, it is for charity, so there should be a lot more information provided to members of the public somewhere. I did not find it either in the articles or the program's website.

Does anyone else agree?
9 July 2009
at 1:55 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

with one eye I agree Budget Smudgets, I would be more interested to see the zip codes of the paricipants

again, another program created to have yet another paid director
9 July 2009
at 2:08 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

JayhawkAlum03 (Anonymous) says…

Budgets, I would somewhat disagree about the need for increased transparency since we (as the consumers) are not the ones donating to the charity directly…we're just paying for that which we would likely be buying already. I would assume that the participating organizations have access to this information since they are ultimately the ones that are donating the $$ (and paying salary/overhead/$10 rewards).

When donating directly to organizations, I am definitely more concerned with the percentages but see this as being a completely different ballgame. I am very pleased that this group banded together to cooperate to make a difference.
9 July 2009
at 2:13 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

toe (Anonymous) says…

This smacks of the United Way where money is collected, skimmed off, and politics plays in the hand out. Why would money go to public radio? They can easily raise their own. We need an audit of this so called charity.

9 July 2009
at 2:34 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

toe, you jest, an audit in Lawrence? the problem with the program is that the retailers joined in , in hopes of increasing their sales..have they? while other retailers have been excluded, why?

toe, United Way has scammed for years, in fact, some years ago, the director was making more than many workers in town and those workers were put in a room and made to feel shamed for not giving. many of them needed the money for their own day to day expenses.
9 July 2009
at 2:41 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

Ohyasee, and how much did you spend to get $10 dollars? you must be rich and have lots of disposable income or eat out a lot, you is generous though, did your designated charity benefit much or would you have been better to give directly
just wondering how it works, will you get a statement allowing for tax deductions or DOES the merchant take the deduction,,hmmm?
9 July 2009
at 3:16 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

hail2oldku (Anonymous) says…

oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

Ohyasee, and how much did you spend to get $10 dollars? you must be rich and have lots of disposable income or eat out a lot,
–––––––––––––––––––––—
Since you get a point for every dollar spent (capped at 100 points per purchase opportunity) and it takes 200 points to earn your $10, Ohyasee could have gotten by with only spending $200.00.

That's only about 2 1/2 trips to Checkers for me to buy groceries for my family. Not something you have to be a “rich” person to do.

Maybe if you get your hotdog stand included you'll feel less synical about the program.
9 July 2009
at 5:55 p.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

hey hail, thanks for the info, just think how much you could get if the city water department and Westar and Aquila participated, no to forget the nasty fast food restaurants and that nasty Walmart that is so hated in Lawrence.

At the price of the Mandingo, the Perky and the OneEyeWilbur, I dont' think too many charities would benefit. Although there could be one for the new retirement center for Skanks. “not_holroyd' has put down the entry fee

At $3.50 a Mandingo and a Perky how many Mandingos and Perkies would it take to fund the Arts Center and the Watkins museum. You might be on to something hail :)