More retailers hitting shoppers up for donations at the register

Whether you're buying groceries, clothes or cough medicine, chances are you're being asked by the cashier, "Would you like to donate $1 to charity?"

It's a growing trend among retailers, who see it as a way to help a good cause and show customers their charitable side.

"It can be a win-win," said Sandra Miniutti, vice president of the charity evaluation company, Charity Navigator.

But suburban shoppers appear mixed about being asked again and again to donate a buck for this and a buck for that.

Nancy Palmere of Streamwood doesn't mind making a $1 donation as long as it's going to a reputable charity.

"Usually it's like, aah, what the heck, throw on another dollar. It's for a good cause," Palmere said.

Other shoppers find the practice annoying and guilt-inducing, especially if they've already been hit up for a donation outside the store by a Salvation Army bell ringer and solicitors standing in nearby street intersections.

Even though this is the season for giving, Sibel Aygul of Schaumburg doesn't like the repeated requests for money, preferring to give to charity on her own terms.

"I want to do it myself, without people asking me," she said. "So when they ask, I usually just say no."

Saying no is difficult for some people, though. If they're buying $100 worth of groceries but refuse to donate $1 to a food pantry, they feel like a scrooge. If people are standing in line behind them, they might be too embarrassed to say "no."

"I feel bad when I say no," said Yoomee Kim, of Buffalo Grove, "but it adds up."

Cashiers requesting donations is a relatively new type of "cause-related marketing," as it's called. It's been a successful tactic that's raised millions of dollars for worthy charities.

On Dec. 1, Dick's Sporting Goods passed the $1 million mark in this year's collections for the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, done at the cash registers through its "Thanks and Giving" campaign.

Dick's absorbs the administrative costs and donates 100 percent of every customer's donation to the hospital. Jeffrey Hennion, Dick's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, says the donations they've solicited over the past three years have helped sick children and their families across the U.S.

"Our stores often hear personal accounts of treatment and success directly from our customers," he said. "Each year, our store associates, especially our cashiers, get more enthusiastic about this campaign."

Peter Gill, of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said it's unlikely businesses can write off any of this on their taxes, because it's not their money being donated.

"People get real cynical, saying, 'Oh, they're just doing this for a corporate tax write-off.' They're not. And they're not doing it because they're trying to squeeze a few extra dollars out of their customers. They're doing it because they think it's the right thing," he said.

If companies thought this request would hurt business or turn away customers, they'd stop it immediately, Gill added.

The fundraising campaigns are fantastic for charities, not just because of the money raised, but because they provide tremendous marketing and branding.

"There are more new nonprofits every year," Miniutti said. "Getting your name out there is what it's all about."

The effort may be rooted in good-heartedness, but some experts believe the reason these campaigns are successful is because they play on people's guilt. It forces a person to say "no" out loud, to someone's face, and with other people around.

"You know those Salvation Army kettles? If you walk by and don't give them money, you feel like a jerk for doing so? This is exactly that same thing," said marketing consultant Peter Geisheker. "Sure, a small percentage of people have a kind heart. But most of us pay the buck out of guilt so we don't look bad."

A better way to donate to charity, Miniutti believes, is to pick the charities you like and write a check.

"Writing a $100 check at the beginning of the year is more powerful than giving $1 to a bunch of different charities," she said.

Some shoppers strolling through Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg recently said they don't mind being asked to donate and don't have a problem saying "no" once in a while -- or always.

"If they don't mind me saying 'no,' I don't mind them asking," said Edith Newsome of Rockford. "I don't care what the cashier thinks of me."

"Even if it does make people feel guilty, that's a good thing," added Hoffman Estates native Wendy Keller. "We live in a country of abundance. If we can help someone who needs it, why wouldn't we?"