Retailers Focus Giving Tuesday Efforts on Feeding People, Pets

Among the many charity-themed promotions associated with Giving Tuesday on Nov. 28, several are designed to feed the hungry — whether they have two legs or four. From Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2023, Instacart and participating CPG brands will donate one serving of fruits and vegetables for every dollar spent on the platform for these brands, up to a collective total of 1 million servings.

The Chewy Gives Back program will make product donations of up to $1 million per week to shelters and pet rescue operations in need, based on purchases made through Jan. 3, 2024, with a seasonal goal of raising $10 million. The retailer’s Chewy Claus campaign will donate one pound of food to a nonprofit partner for every letter addressed to Chewy Claus received by Dec. 15, 2023.

The Instacart program, its third annual Giving Tuesday campaign, benefits Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). Participating CPG companies include Keurig Dr. Pepper, Dole Packaged Foods and Olipop.

Donations from the Giving Tuesday campaign will help support PHA initiatives like Good Food at Home, a program providing fresh produce to families facing barriers to nutritious food. The program gives families free produce for three months, which they can access via Instacart Fresh Funds. In September 2023, Instacart and PHA expanded their Good Food for All to more than 1,100 families in four cities following a successful February 2023 introduction in Indianapolis.

For purpose-oriented retailers, Giving Tuesday provides an opportunity to spotlight charitable activity that takes place year-round. Baby and child gear retailer Munchkin, which already donates all the profits generated on Mondays to organizations supporting anti-racism and inclusive education via its Radiant Colors program, has extended its gifting time frame to include Giving Tuesday. This year the program supports Sesame Workshop, EmbraceRace and Roots ConnectED.

Candlemaker Groove Gives, created by queer Latinx internet personality Eric Sedeño, donates 15 meals for each candle sold to Minnie’s Food Pantry, a national organization based in Plano, Texas, where Sedeño is from. The program has provided more than 20,000 meals since it launched in 2022.