Ralphs Grocery Company has a proven track record for investing in and giving back to the communities it serves in Southern California. Shopping for groceries with your Ralphs Rewards card and using the Community Contribution Program has raised more than $10,354 for Widows & Orphans since 2008.
“It’s free money! We appreciate the loyalty and that’s why we are so happy to give back to the communities we serve,” says Shelly Lander, Manager, Retail Support Services for Ralphs and Food 4 Less. “We get a lot of thank you letters from organizations thanking us for our donation, but of course that donation couldn’t have happened without the participants in the organization. I know they’re thanking us, but we like to thank them for shopping with us and continuing their commitment to not only the organization but also to Ralphs” Shelly says.
Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to local communities and charitable causes in Southern California in 2016, $2.5 million of that money went to local schools and charitable organizations through the Community Contribution Program. The program provides Ralphs Rewards cardholders with the opportunity to have a percentage of their purchases donated to the non-profit of their choice.
The goal is to encourage everyone to sign up and designate the charity of their choice. “What makes this program work best is how it is presented to our members, family and friends,” Shelly says. The free money goes toward the organization after a person links their card to their organization. This is an annual commitment good until August 31 the next year.
“Every year our term begins on September 1,” says Shelly. “You just sign up once either online or by calling the team in the office at 1 (800) 443-4438. We can assist any cardholder and link their card to an organization. Then, every time they shop and use their card or phone number, after they’ve linked their card to an organization, it’s like a recording device and your organization earns a quarterly check.”
When members make a one-year commitment to Ralphs, Ralphs also makes a one year commitment to the member and to the organization. Each year this allows the word to be spread to new members and to keep current or previous members informed about changes to the program.
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Members are not able to designate percentages to the different charities, but can split donations throughout the year. Enroll in September and designate one organization for six months and then in March, make a change and designate a different organization (i.e. a child’s school). “Participation can be changed at any time and as many times as they want for whatever organization they want,” says Shelly.
To sign up for the Community Contribution Program, click here and follow the instructions.
By Denise Schlegel, Freelance Writer
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