Our expert recommendations for who to support and how to give.
How to Participate in Hunger Action Month 2023
September is Hunger Action Month, an opportunity for communities across the country to stand together to end hunger. Around the world, as many as 811 million people still go hungry, and in the United States alone, an estimated more than 42 million people, including 13 million children, may face hunger and food insecurity.
In a country often associated with abundance, it's alarming that millions of Americans struggle with not having consistent access to food. Furthermore, the global pandemic increased food insecurity among families with children and communities of color, who already faced hunger at higher rates before the pandemic.
By getting involved in the fight against hunger by partnering with local organizations, distributing food, fundraising, raising awareness, and contributing resources, your business can help ensure that millions of individuals and families are supported in the battle against food insecurity.
We are raising awareness for the importance of supporting food insecure communities by highlighting organizations that are working to end the hunger crisis in America and around the globe. Here are some tactics that you can use to get involved and give back for Hunger Action Month.
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Nonprofits Making an Impact Towards Fighting Hunger
We pulled a list of organizations that are aiding in the fight against hunger and supporting food insecure communities. We encourage you to get involved in their efforts during Hunger Action Month and beyond.
Heifer International
Heifer International (EIN: 35-1019477) is on a mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For 75 years, they have provided livestock and sustainable agricultural training to struggling communities around the world. They currently work in 21 countries, including the United States, supporting local food producers to expand their businesses and earn a living income.
Working with farmers, Heifer International improves productivity for farmers and identifies opportunities to add value to what they’re already producing or expand into new product areas to meet market demand. While subsistence provides goods and nutrition for the time being, an active marketplace creates incomes, savings, education, employment and opportunities for communities to retain their people, develop new skills and increase earning potential.
Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger (EIN: 16-1541024) is driven by the vision of a world without hunger, and is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies.
On a pathway to end hunger, Rise Against Hunger targets remote communities that are designated “serious” or higher on the Global Hunger Index. With the support of their global impact partners, Rise Against Hunger practices locally-led development by providing expertise vital to empower local communities and providing meals through local schools to incentive attendance and enable kids to obtain an education.
Food Access Project
Food Access Project (EIN: 86-2508030) is on a mission to decrease food insecurity and increase access to nutritious food through technology. The vision is to leverage technology to build equitable systems to help people thrive.
They also partner with local providers to help fund innovative food access programs such as online markets, in-home delivery, medically tailored groceries, and more. This means, everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can effortlessly access nutritious food, programs and services nearby.
How Businesses Can Support the Fight Against Hunger
Everyone deserves access to nutritious food. With many individuals, families, and communities facing hunger, especially in high-poverty areas, it’s more important than ever to support and invest in programs that decrease food insecurity.
For retailers and eCommerce merchants, joining the fight against hunger during Hunger Action Month can have a profound impact on communities in need. By leveraging your networks, resources, and influence, you have the power to make a significant contribution towards addressing this issue.
Collaborating with local food banks, shelters, and community programs, your business can help distribute food to those in need, ensuring that families have access to nourishing meals. This collective effort can also raise awareness about hunger in America and destigmatize the struggles faced by those affected, encouraging more open dialogue and understanding of those in need.
Actionable Tactics for Hunger-Focused Initiatives
You can use your platform to raise awareness for the importance of food security. Your marketing channels are a great way to inform people about the obstacles that many individuals are facing, and are a place to easily provide resources for others to get involved in the cause.
To give back during Hunger Action Month, we encourage you to support the recommended nonprofits shared above. Through ShoppingGives, you can support the organizations individually, or as a group through our “Fighting Hunger” cause portfolio.
Your business can spotlight the cause by running a flash giving event. You can donate an extra donation percentage, like 20% or 50%, for a 24-hour timeframe in support of one of the nonprofits listed above. This tactic is an easy way to capture the attention of your customers and motivate them to make a purchase.
If you want to support your local community through your brick and mortar location, you can enable donations at the point of sale that specifically support food banks and pantries in your local community. Supporting your local community is a powerful way to create an even more engaging and authentic experience for your customers when making their purchase.
You could also create a specific product collection where the purchase of every product from that collection creates a donation for a hunger-focused nonprofit organization. This will encourage your customers to shop from that specific collection and make an impact with their purchase.
To streamline your giving initiatives, leverage the ShoppingGives’ donation technology to give back to hunger-focused nonprofit organizations. If your business uses the Shopify platform, you can download the ShoppingGives Donation App and begin giving within minutes. For businesses on other eCommerce platforms, you can connect with our team and learn more about getting involved.
Promote Your Involvement
To maximize your impact around Hunger Action Month, include messaging around your efforts throughout your marketing funnel. Social media, email, and onsite marketing are great ways to highlight your giving initiatives and raise awareness around the cause.
We recommend announcing your campaign through social media and email. This gives you an opportunity to tell a story around why this cause is important to your business, explain the actions that you are taking in support of the cause, and highlight any charitable organizations that you are planning to support during this time.
Learn more about how ShoppingGives can help your business get involved in this timely cause.