The 1% Program

The following is a letter I sent to the Byron Shire Echo:

Hello Friends:
I am visiting a city of 17,000 on the far north California coast. This university town, Arcata, has two health food shops each the size of Woolies. One of them, a cooperative, has at it's check out line a list of about twenty local not-for-profits with a code number next to each. A customer can request that an addtional 1% of the total cost of purchases be added as a donation to a not-for-profit selected from that list.

I consider this a great idea. It is totally voluntary for both the merchant to initiate and for the customer to participate. Say your purchase is $30.00. 1% is only $.30. Negligible for the customer but it all adds up. The merchant could send off a cheque when the sum is large enough and at a convenient time. With the computerised cash registers, once set up, the adding of the 1% would be easy.

It only takes one merchant to start this program. Of course, the more the merrier and if enough merchants were involved, they could display a placard, 'Member of the 1% Program'. There could be literature available for visitors to the shire explaining the benefits to the community that they so like to visit. Perhaps the NCRF might want to consider a role.

So, there ya are.

G'day, Kundan Ewan

Ahhh, how I miss hearing g'day, mate, no worries....