Small Change, Big Impact: Rounding Up at the Register

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When you shop at Lakewinds, you have the option of rounding up your purchase to the nearest dollar in support of local nonprofits. While those extra cents may not seem like a lot, when multiplied by thousands of shoppers, rounding up starts to add up. How much are we talking? Since 2015, Lakewinds shoppers have raised over $1.6 million for local organizations through the Community Giving Round Up program!

The Humanity Alliance is one of many organizations supported by rounding up at the register.
Community Giving Statistics
  • Total donated since 2015: more than $1.6 million
  • Total organizations supported since 2015: 58
  • Total donated during the 2023-24 fiscal year: $194,123
  • Average monthly total donated during the 2023-24 fiscal year: $16,523.44
  • Average Round Up amount during the 2023-24 fiscal year: 43 cents
  • Percentage of transactions rounded up during the 2023-24 fiscal year: 30%
Selection Process

Round Up recipients are selected by a committee of Lakewinds staff (one of the perks of the job!) based on their alignment with three key criteria: food access, building a healthier and more equitable food system, or sustainable agriculture. The closer an organization meets one or more of these criteria, the better the chance it will be selected. Additionally, the committee looks for opportunities to support and amplify the mission of nonprofits serving underrepresented groups or interests in the community. It’s always a difficult process, because there are countless organizations we’d love to support, but only so many months in the year.

Here are some of the organizations you’ve supported by rounding up:

  • Dream of Wild Health is dedicated to restoring the health and well-being of Indigenous communities through knowledge of and access to culturally relevant food.
  • Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery provides meals, shelter, and resources for parents and children in times of crisis.
  • Land Stewardship Project promotes sustainable agriculture, mentors new farmers, provides resources for farmland access, and helps cultivate healthy farming communities.
One way that Round Up recipient Dream of Wild Health supports Indigenous communities is through increasing access to culturally relevant foods.
Measuring Impact

Selected organizations are assigned a month for their Round Up. Sometimes, an organization will apply to fund a project with a specific timeline. In those cases, we try to accommodate as best we can. During the organization’s assigned month, every cent that you round up goes to them. Lakewinds never charges a fee or keeps a cut to manage the program. During any given month, a selected organization can expect to receive between $12,000 and $17,000 in Round Up donations.

How does that money get used? Here are some examples in the words of the organizations your round ups have supported:

  • “Round Up contributions allowed HAFA to purchase an electric tractor that is shared among our farmers and enhances our sustainable practices. Thank you for creating a vibrant, just, and sustainable food system.”  – Janssen Hang, executive director, Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA)
    $13,876.81 raised in January 2024
  • “Lakewinds members’ generosity provided the financial support for [us] to prepare and deliver over 7,428 ready-to-enjoy, healthy meals to our neighbors in need, helping combat chronic diseases that are tied to food insecurity.” – Greg Pavett, executive director, Humanity Alliance
    $13,966.18 raised in February 2024
  • “Thank you again for spotlighting our Pay What You Can program for your April 2024 Round Up campaign! The funds are going a long way in helping us offer CSAs at a price that works for each household.” – Brenna Cook, development coordinator, The Good Acre
    $17,168.91 raised in April 2024
Round Up donations in 2024 helped HAFA purchase a tractor for their farm.
Ongoing Support

The only recipients that remain the same year to year are the local food shelves we partner with for Minnesota FoodShare Month: ICA Food Shelf, PROP, and VEAP. Last year, our Minnesota FoodShare donations reached nearly $26,000, unlocking an extra $13,000 in additional funds from the co-op. That’s almost $40,000 in cash donated to food shelves serving your communities!

The average Round Up donation is about 40 cents, yet in 2023 Lakewinds shoppers raised over $178,000. That’s a lot of change! Currently, about one third of register transactions are rounded up. Imagine the impact if we got to half of all transactions! The next time you check out, remember the big difference that small donations make.

Learn more about the Community Giving Round Up program and how to apply!

Explore other ways that Lakewinds gives back, including through school and community gardens, our Lakewinds Organic Field Fund (LOFF) grant program for farmers, and other community donations.