Natural Grocers Breaks Record by Raising Over $260,000 In August 2020 For Local Food Banks

Natural Grocers, the nation's largest family-operated natural and organic grocery retailer, and its customers broke their own fundraising record for a single month in August by raising over $260,000 for local food banks to meet the growing needs of community members experiencing food insecurity.

The donation will provide its neighbors, not just with food, but with the highest quality, healthy options at affordable prices, via Natural Grocers gift cards.

The company says that caring for our communities in this capacity is anchored in the details of their origin story, including the community food cabinet that Margaret Isely, Natural Grocers' co-founder, kept in their first store. When a family in need came in, she would open the cabinet to provide them with all the ingredients for a nutritious meal. While they can't have a community food cabinet in every store now, they instead have food bank fundraisers throughout the year, including a 5-cent donation every time customers purchase a reusable bag or bring their own.

August's record-breaking fundraising donation was driven by several initiatives, such as the 5-cent bag contribution, their 65th Anniversary sales-based donation, and their customers' generosity.

"We are humbled by the response from customers and the hard work from our good4uSM Crew in making August our best fundraising month ever for local food banks in the cities and towns we serve," says Kemper Isely, Natural Grocers' Co-President. "At a time when the need for nutritious groceries and high-quality essentials is immense, we are proud to be able to service our communities with gift cards so they can feed themselves and their families in healthful ways."

In September, they are focusing their fundraising goals for their new planet-loving partnership with the non-profit organization Beyond Pesticides to develop synthetic pesticide-free parks in communities. With the goal of raising $100,000, they will have two in-store fundraising opportunities this month:

  • Natural Grocers Donations: they will give $1 to Beyond Pesticides for every reusable, limited-edition "Organic Month Headquarters" shopping bag purchased (retail price: $1.99).
  • Customer Donations: customers can make contributions to Beyond Pesticides ($1, $5 or $10) at any one of Natural Grocers' 159 store locations.

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