The Charitable Economy is Thriving Point-of-Sale charitable campaigns are alive and well. According to America’s Charity Checkout Champions Report, over 77 groups with million-dollar point-of-sale campaigns raised $388 million in 2014, and over $3.88 billion throughout the last three decades. However, with advancements in technology, the continued rise of online shopping and current campaign saturation in the marketplace, how should we evolve this decades-old fundraising tactic to thrive successfully in 2020 and beyond? Catalist conducted an online consumer research study in April 2016 of over 1700 Americans aged 18 and older. Participants were of varying gender, geographic location, economic status and ethnicity. The margin of error associated with the total sample 2.5% with a 95% level of confidence. The Results: inspiring, thought-provoking and groundbreaking. To us, they unveil five key revelations that will fuel progressive charitable campaigns at the register.

2. The Charitable Economy
is Thriving
Point-of-Sale charitable campaigns are alive and
well. According to America’s Charity Checkout
Champions Report, over 77 groups with million-
dollar point-of-sale campaigns raised $388
million in 2014, and over $3.88 billion throughout
the last three decades.!
!
However, with advancements in technology, the
continued rise of online shopping and current
campaign saturation in the marketplace, how
should we evolve this decades-old fundraising
tactic to thrive successfully in 2020 and beyond?!

3. Consumer Preferences
Offer Revelations
Catalist conducted an online consumer
research study in April 2016 of over 1700
Americans aged 18 and older. !
!
Participants were of varying gender, geographic
location, economic status and ethnicity. The
margin of error associated with the total sample
2.5% with a 95% level of confidence. !
!
The Results: inspiring, thought-provoking and
groundbreaking. To us, they unveil five key
revelations that will fuel progressive charitable
campaigns at the register.!
!
!
REVELATION #1:
REVELATION #2:
REVELATION #3:
REVELATION #4:
REVELATION #5:
Social Good is Still Thriving at the Register
Consumer Preferences are Sector-Specific
The Influence of Technology is Strong
Capture the Unengaged with New
Opportunities
An Opportunity for Relationship Marketing

4. Revelation #1
Social Good Still Thrives at the Register
Consumers are still giving at the register, still like being asked to give
frequently, and feel good about the retailers that are asking them to do so. So,
let’s continue to build point-of-sale donation campaigns – but insist on putting
the consumer first moving forward.!

5. Consumers Have Become
Accustomed to Giving to
Charity at Register
72%
of consumers
have donated to
charity at register!
WOMEN
MEN
75%have donated to charity at
the register!
67%have donated to charity at the
register!
MILLENNIALS GEN X BABY BOOMERS
69% 74% 75%
have donated to charity at the register!
The majority of consumers have donated to charity at the
register, regardless of age or gender. Although most of us
are accustomed to charitable participation at retailers,
there is a slight gender gap. !
!
Women well surpass men at register donations. This
could be attributed to the fact that women are still
responsible for the majority of household purchasing
decisions, but men are shopping more too. Men
increased their visits to all retail outlets except for grocery
and drug stores last year1. However, their charitable
giving at retail has not yet caught up to their gender
counterpart.!
!
There are also differences amongst age groups.
Millennial consumers donate to charity the least at
register. Coming of age alongside B Corporations may
have conditioned Millennials’ charitable giving
expectations and interactions with social causes at retail.!
!

6. Shopping Frequency
Outpaces Charitable
Giving at Register
66% of consumers have donated to
charity at register within the last two months!
Two-thirds of consumers have donated to charity at
retail within the last two months. While impressive,
consumers do not seem to be donating at point-of-
sale each time they shop. When considering
consumer shopping frequencies at physical stores,
consumers are giving about every other, or every
third time they shop (depending on the type of
retailer).!
!
• More than 1 in 3 (36%) consumers goes to a
physical store at least one weekly2 !
• On a monthly basis – consumers buy products
with the same frequency online via PC v. In-
Store (34%)2!
• Within the grocery sector, shopping frequency at
least once per week rises to 74%3!
!
!

7. Silence is Golden
78% of consumers prefer to be asked
to donate at the register electronically (via pin pad
or silently via the bill slip)!
MILLENNIALS GEN X BABY BOOMERS
90% 81% 65%
Prefer to be asked to donate at register electronically!
While gender preferences were virtually the same, a
consumer’s age provides a direct correlation to how likely
they are to prefer a pin pad donation request instead of a
human solicitation.!
!
Only 1 out of 10 Millennial consumers prefer to be asked
through an employee request, while nearly 4 out of 10 Baby
Boomers still prefer a personal connection. This is certainly
something to consider when shaping “the ask” to support
your core customer.!
!
Still – the majority of consumers appreciate a fast and easy
donation transaction at register. This could be in part
attributed to the evolution of point-of-sale technology and
the growth of mobile pay. With such advancements like
biometrics, RFID, self checkouts, digital signage and
advanced customer relationship marketing, retailers are
now in a prime position to more efficiently host charitable
checkout campaigns, and more effectively measure donor
engagement, demographics, shopping behavior and
community impact.!

8. Revelation #2
An Opportunity for Relationship Marketing
With positive consumer sentiment soaring around the register, retailers can
begin to look at these campaigns as a powerful tactic that could encourage
lasting relationships with customers.!

9. Build a Relationship, But
Respect Boundaries
While donations at the register have become a staple in our
retail shopping experience, they have mostly been revered
as charitable programs rather than a marketing opportunity
for the nonprofits and retailers involved. !
!
On average across retail sectors, consumers say they feel
positively about the retailer after they are asked to donate at
register. Qualitative studies reveal that consumers are
actually thankful that the retailer has offered them the ability
to give back to their community in a quick and simple way.
Given these results, retailers could begin to consider
charitable point-of-sale campaigns as a strategic addition to
their relationship marketing plans. !
!
In addition to building strong connections with their
customers, retailers are also increasingly concerned about
maintaining a positive customer experience with them.
While the donation transaction may make customers feel
good, they want to leave it there. An overwhelmingly
majority of consumers aren’t necessarily concerned about
the impact the donation will make, or want to get more
involved with that cause after they donate. Instead, they
say a simple “Thank You” following their gift is enough
stewardship for them when it comes to point-of-sale
donations.!
!
!
58%of consumers feel
positively about the
retailer after donating
85%of consumers say a
simple “Thank You” is
enough (post-
donation)!
4%
6%
5%
85%
Preferred Post-Donation
Action
Give a discount Impact Notification
More Info from Charity A Simple "Thank You"
POS Drives Customer Loyalty
Keep It Simple

10. Revelation #3
Consumer Preferences are Sector-Specific
When examining various retail sectors, consumer giving preferences offer
some similarities. However, varying degrees of consumer sentiment and
preferred solicitation frequency suggests that we as an industry should begin
to consider campaign customization depending on retail sector. !

11. Consumer Sector
Preferences Yield the
Need for Consistency &
Sector Expansion
Consumers spend the most money in a given month at motor
vehicle retailers, food & beverage products (including
grocery), and food & beverage services (including
restaurants) respectively in ranking order by volume4.!
!
When it comes to saturation, Big Box retailers account for the
most charitable campaigns at register (24%), with specialty
stores (20%) and the online sector (17%) round out the top
35.!
!
Whether it’s where they are shopping the most, or where they
are more accustomed to seeing charitable campaigns at the
register, their preferences offer us two conclusions: !
!
• Continue traditional point-of-sale programs in their current form
at grocery and big box retailers. Consumers enjoy hearing about
causes at these retailers and enjoy their frequency.!
• With some of the highest sentiment ratings, Convenience Stores
and Restaurants could be the next sector opportunity for your
point-of-sale campaign expansion strategy. !
!
!
!
!
1
2
3
SUPERMARKET
BIG BOX RETAILER
CONVENIENCE STORE
4
5
6
RESTAURANT
SHOPPING MALL
BANK
Where Do You
Prefer to Give to
Charity?

12. Add on $1
Preferred method of
giving at all registers
53%of consumers prefer to
donate at register
once per month or
more!
Simply and Regularly
Engage Customers
When creating charitable point-of-sale campaigns, there is
a lot of strategic discussion around the frequency of the ask
and the donation method. !
!
Since charitable checkout campaigns are so commonplace
now, there is the perception that the market is oversaturated
and consumers feel bombarded with solicitations. Quite the
contrary for the over 70% of consumers that still donate to
causes this way. They are telling us to keep asking – as
much as once per month or more. The way in which we
ask and how we allow them to engage seems to be more
important to them than frequency.!
!
Consumers are clear on one main point regardless of
sector, age or gender. They mostly prefer to add on $1 to
their bill, as it is a simple action, low denomination, yet still
significant enough to make a difference in volume. While
only the third most preferred method of giving at register,
we have seen an increase in campaigns offering the ability
to add on a pre-packaged item (i.e. a meal for the hungry).
Many causes like hunger can more naturally engage donors
in this way. But, it is interesting to think creatively about
how this tactic could work for the unobvious causes –
something that could provide a tangible and immediate
representation of impact.!
!
Customers Participate Often
Easy Engagement Option

13. 60%
of consumers prefer to be asked to donate at
supermarkets once per month or more!
#1: Supermarket
64%
of consumers felt positively about the
supermarket after donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at supermarkets!

14. 58%
of consumers prefer to be asked to donate at big
box retailers once per month or more!
#2: Big Box Retailer
55%
of consumers felt positively about the big box
retailer after donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at big box retailers!

15. 60%
of consumers prefer to be asked to donate at
convenience stores once per month or more!
#3: Convenience Store
63%
of consumers felt positively about the
convenience store after donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at convenience stores!

16. 50%
of consumers prefer to be asked to donate at
restaurants once per month or more!
#4: Restaurant
70%
of consumers felt positively about the restaurant
after donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at restaurants!

17. 56%
of consumers would prefer to be asked less than
once per month or never at a shopping mall!
#5: Shopping Mall
54%
of consumers felt indifferent or negatively about
the shopping mall (or stores found within) after
donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at shopping malls!

18. 55%
of consumers would prefer to be asked less than
once per month or never at a bank!
#6: Bank
52%
of consumers felt indifferent or negatively about
the shopping mall (or stores found within) after
donating!
Add on $1
Preferred method of giving at shopping malls!

19. Revelation #4
The Influence of Technology is Strong
Online shopping is soaring, yet consumers say they still prefer to donate to
charity at brick-and-mortar registers. We see this as THE big opportunity to
watch in the future of charitable checkout campaigns.!

20. The Sleeping Opportunity:
Charitable E-Commerce
Campaigns
Today’s brick-and-mortar stores process 95% of retail sales
transactions6, so it is no surprise that the majority of
consumers still prefer to give to charity through traditional in-
store campaigns. However, nearly just as many consumers
(48%) either prefer to give to charity via online register or
don’t care either way – as long as they are able to donate. !
!
Online shopping continues to grow at the expense of in-store
visits. Online Cyber Monday sales were up nearly 30% in
2015, while digital and mobile sales on Black Friday also
jumped 25%2. With this growth rate and depth of donation
indifference, we predict charitable e-commerce campaigns
will exponentially increase over the next five years. !
!
Additionally, e-commerce giving peaks the increased interest
of men over women, as well as the two youngest shopping
generations rather than boomers. Since men are shopping
more and Gen Xers and Millennials are gaining more
expendable income, we could enjoy a spike in charitable e-
commerce engagement preference sooner than expected.!
!
!
!
!
!
52%
38%
10%
Brick & Mortar
No Preference
Online
WOMEN
MEN
7%
are more inclined to donate to
charity via e-commerce outlets!
16%
are more inclined to donate to
charity via e-commerce outlets!
MILLENNIALS
GEN X
BABY BOOMERS
14%
4%
11%
More Inclined to Donate to Charity
via E-Commerce Outlets!
Where Are You More Inclined to
Give to Charity at Register?

21. Online Preferences Mirror
In-Store
While there may be a level of indifference or relatively little
engagement preference in charitable e-commerce
campaigns, the specific frequency and donation methods
they enjoy online mirror those of traditional in-store
preferences. !
!
What is perhaps more surprising to us is that nearly 9 out of
10 consumers do not want e-commerce retailers to offer
them the ability to share their donation action with their
friends and family through social media. On a similar level,
this echoes their sentiment at only wanting a simple ‘thank
you” post-donation at in-store retailers – not requiring or
expecting additional engagement.!
!
Consumers truly see charitable checkout campaigns – on or
offline – as a transactional experience with a societal cause.
While true fundraisers and nonprofit marketers may have
the urge to cultivate these micro donors, their preference
consistency across sectors and commerce medium
encourages us to be thankful for their engagement, and
lower our expectation for continued interactivity.
!
!
!
Add on $1
Preferred method of
giving at online
register
88%of consumers do not
want to share their
action via social media
after donating at
online register
65%of consumers prefer to
donate at online
register once per
month or more!

22. Revelation #5
Capture the Unengaged With New
Opportunities
While your point-of-sale donors want to keep their relationship with your cause
at the register, the other 28% who never donate through these campaigns
could provide your organization with new opportunities for volunteer
recruitment.!

23. The Unengaged Wants to
Get to Know You
Nearly 1/3 of all consumers have never donated at the
register before. Over half of them also said there is nothing
that would make them donate in this way, and they would
actually prefer to volunteer their time as a way of supporting
your cause.!
!
40% of all consumers who do not give at
the register would like to volunteer for charitable
causes instead.!
!
However, before you’re off to the races to present your next
volunteer opportunity, consider first investing in marketing
your organizational brand and mission to retail consumers.
Not only will you capture volunteer prospects where they
live (and shop), but you may also be able to convert a
subset of these non-donors. Over 40% claim the reason
they don’t give at register now is because they don’t know
much about the cause that is soliciting their support. The
“Unengaged” retail shopper actually wants to know who you
are, and perhaps may become more intimately involved
with your cause than the more traditional register donor.!
!
!
44%of consumers who do
not give at register
because they don’t
know much about the
cause asking for
money
56%of consumers who do
not give at register say
nothing will make
them do so!
Your Brand Is Important
Cultivate In Other Ways
24%
of consumers say they would donate if the retailer
matched their donation!
Consider New Opportunities

24. Sources:
1. Nielsen – U.S. Women Control the Purse Strings -
2015
2. PWC – Total Retail 2015: Retailers and the Age of
Disruption
3. Statista – Grocery Shopping Frequency of U.S.
Households
4. U.S. Dept. of Commerce – May 2016
5. America’s Charity Checkout Champions – 2015
6. NCR Corporation – Future of POS & Mobile - 2015

25. www.GoCatalist.com/insights info@gocatalist.com
A Solution-based Ecosystem that Helps Nonprofits Raise 35% More from Corporations for
1/3 of the cost of traditional methods.