Rally for Change

Anytime you check-out at City Market, you can choose to "round up" your total to the nearest dollar. Each month, that spare change is donated to three great non-profits that align with the Co-op's mission. 

Rally for Change50% Partner (every month):

Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf

www.feedingchittenden.org

September's 40% Partner:

Burlington Area Community Gardens

The mission of Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG) is to provide community garden sites and programs that are accessible, safe and healthy for people of diverse ages, experiences, backgrounds and abilities. For over 40 years Burlington area residents have come together to sow seeds, tend rows and harvest rewards. Today’s BACG program is comprised of 14 garden sites across the Burlington area and serves over 1,400 people! Sites range from small neighborhood plots to larger sites with multiple acres of available garden space. 

http://enjoyburlington.com/our-community-gardens/about-our-community-gardens/

September's 10% Partner:

Me2

Me2/ (“me, too”) erases the stigma surrounding mental illness through supportive classical music ensembles and inspiring performances.       

Me2/ is a model organization consisting of people with and without mental illnesses who work together in an environment where acceptance is an expectation, patience is encouraged, and supporting each other is a priority. Their mission is to present exhilarating performances that encourage dialogue about mental health issues and erase the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. 

They host orchestras in two states – Vermont and Massachusetts – and are exploring the addition of new ensembles in the future. The performances take place in recital halls, correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals. 

The members of Me2/ ensembles range in age from 13–8o+ years old, including students, health care workers, professional musicians, teachers, and retirees. There are no auditions and no fees to join. 

www.Me2orchestra.org

About Rally for Change

In October 2014, City Market updated its program for collecting donations at the register! Previously, we selected a different non-profit each month and donated 5 cents for each bag our customers reused (our "Change for Local Non-Profits" program). Every register also included tear off coupons so customers could donate to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. In addition, each year in February we sold $1 Hearts for the Intervale Center and in September $1 Lunch Trays for Hunger Free Vermont, with all donations going to each respective organization. We've consolidated all of these programs into our new "Rally for Change" program which allows customers to "round up" their order at each register, each time they check-out at the Co-op.

In the name of education, opportunity, and streamlining how we do things here at the Co-op, we created a Rally for Change program! This program allows customers to “round up” their payment at the register (e.g., a $25.42 checkout could be rounded up to $26 for a $0.58 donation). The Co-op will then donate this “round up” change to a variety of local non-profits each month (so, not just one!) that are doing amazing work in our community. Want to round up to the nearest five or ten dollars? You can do that too! Each month, we’ll share who will be receiving the donations (in our newsletter, with store signage and through staff education).

With more than 4,000 transactions each day through our registers, we all have the opportunity to share what we think of as “small change” to rally for bigger community-wide change. This new Rally program will take the place of the “tear off” coupons we have at the registers and will also take the place of our Change for Local Non-Profits (or bag refunds) program.

Not to worry, a large percentage of each month’s donation will go to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf and we anticipate that this program will actually increase their donations. Through this new program, we will also continue to offer donations to local non-profits that are on the waiting list for our previous "Change for Local Non-Profits" bag refund program (and any new ones that we add to the list!). Here’s how the donation percentages will work out each month:

  • 50% to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, every month

  • 40% to an organization that aligns with the Co-op’s Global Ends

  • 10% to a local non-profit that may not directly align so closely with our Global Ends, but still works to make our community a better place (much like the Change for Local Non-Profits Program)

This new program gives our cashiers and staff an opportunity to engage with our customers and together we’ll both support and learn more about the organizations that make our community a better place to live. We’re excited to give it a try and are interested to hear what you think!

Past Recipients

Do you run a local non-profit that aligns with our Global Ends?

Your organization can apply to become a Rally for Change 10% Partner. We are currently filling slots 2 years out (it's a popular program and our community has many amazing non-profits!). Visit our donations page to learn how to apply.