Monday to Saturday 8am-7pm
Sundays 11am-5pm
EVERYONE WELCOME!
a Community Contribution Program
WHAT IS COMMON CENTS?
Our Common Cents Community Contribution Program allows customers the option to add a donation to their purchase at the registers! These donations go to our community partners whose mission and ends statements align with those of the Co-op.
25% of donations go to the VT Foodbank
25% go to the Upper Valley Haven
50% go to a “feature” organization that rotates monthly.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
At the registers, there are signs that outline the main mission of Vermont Foodbank, the Upper Valley Haven, and the feature organization. If a customer feels moved to add a donation to their purchase that will go toward those organizations, they tell their cashier that they would like to “round up” for Common Cents. Generally, the cashier will round up the purchase total to the nearest dollar, but specific donation amounts (to be more or less than rounding up) can be processed as well. The difference between the customer’s original purchase total and the new total are tracked in the POS system. Monthly, the Co-op processes the funds to benefit the three donation recipients. That’s it!
WHY THIS FORMAT?
The Co-op has opted for this style donation program because it allows customers to easily make small donations to local organizations. As a whole, the community is able to give more as a result of individuals contributing what they can, when they can. These bite-sized donations really add up over the course of a month! It’s a way for the Co-op community to support and promote the good work of our partners not only by giving them a monetary donation, but also by spreading the word through in-store signage and social media promotions. As the Co-op’s mission is, “The Upper Valley Food Co-op is a community-supported natural foods market which promotes the local economy, is committed to sustainability, and enriches lives through education,” we strive to work in harmony with other organizations who are supporting our community.
​
​
Past Featured Organizations
Application
We are always looking for new organizations to support! If your organization would like to be considered as a feature organization, please fill out the Common Cents application.
Larissa from the Upper Valley Food Co-op and
Dana from the Good Neighbor Health Clinic