I donated my dwindling meal plan dollars purely out of pressure and fear of judgment when dining services at Binghamton University were collecting donations for a food drive. It’s not that I don’t support the cause or have anything against donating, but it made me consider if it was really the best way for people to engage with their communities.
Checkout donations create an awkward situation for employees and customers alike. Customers feel pressured to donate their extra cents while employees try their best not to make customers feel uncomfortable or judged. From both sides, this is not a situation anyone enjoys being in, so why do businesses continue this practice? These donations are far from the best form of charity to exist, but they are actually very effective in raising money. These donations also help businesses improve their reputation and earn money because customers feel good about spending money at their stores. A common misconception I often hear is that these donations are used as tax write-offs, but this is actually not true. Companies cannot write off donations that do not come from their own income. But, despite their effectiveness, there might still be more harm than good produced in the long run.
Making monetary donations through businesses make people feel like they are doing something charitable and meeting their “moral quota” when they could do much more. While it is true that these types of donations are accessible and do encourage people who wouldn’t donate otherwise to donate, this alone should not fill people’s quota for good-doing. Directly working with charities and volunteering your time has a far greater impact than the spare change you donate at the register. Donating money through businesses also doesn’t provide people with the same connection to organizations that directly donating or volunteering does. Building a lasting relationship with specific organizations makes the greatest impact on charity organizations because people will return to volunteer their time or continue to make donations. Checkout donations take this possibility away because most of the time people don’t even know where their money is going or the programs it might be supporting.
I work at Panera Bread in my hometown, and when we were doing a “round up” donation campaign, I honestly did not know anything about the organization we were raising money for. The info sheets we were given were vague and unhelpful. When a few customers asked me about it, I had to tell them something generic about education in low-income communities. Even as an employee, I wanted to better understand the programs this money was funding and was embarrassed I couldn’t give customers more information. Knowing where the money is going, even if it is only a few cents, makes a big difference in the long run. If you know where your money is going, you’re more likely to research an issue or organization and that larger understanding causes people to get more involved and work for change. This is why business-led donations are not sustainable forms of charity.
The impulsivity and peer pressure behind these donations contribute to their qualitative effectiveness, but subsequently take away from the sentiment and meaning of charity. Doing good makes people feel good, but these small donations at the cash register give people a false sense of that. People who actively volunteer their time or regularly donate to charity would not feel satisfied with these donations alone. People who use these donations as their only form of charity shouldn’t feel satisfied either. These donations are disconnected from the actual organizations, and do not give people any real insight or experience with what they are supporting. The most rewarding part of charity is seeing the effects of what you contribute, and with these kinds of donations, you rarely get to see them. So, next time you’re asked to “round up” at the register, don’t feel bad about saying no. Instead, find a charity or organization that means something to you and volunteer your time there.
Antonia Kladias is an undeclared freshman.