Become
a community partner.
“Concern for Community” is one of the seven guiding principles of cooperatives everywhere, and is also near and dear to our hearts. There are three ways to receive direct support from the Co-op: the Change for Change program, a donation, or a sponsorship. If requesting a sponsorship, please call 716-886-1036 ext 950.
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Change for Change
Small acts of generosity collectively make a large impact. Our monthly Round-up-at-the-Register campaign is always running, and it supports a 501c3 non-profit organization, a farm, or a co-op. At Lexington Co-op, we believe that having Concern for Community means having a positive impact on local organizations doing important work, as well as providing opportunities for our staff, owners and shoppers to get involved and support— it’s part of our cooperative spirit. We’re committed to supporting non-profits and organizations throughout the year that:
Focus on food justice through accessibility, equity, and nutrition education
Work towards social justice and environmental justice
Build the local community through food and agriculture, arts and culture, or cooperation
GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION
Nominations and Staff Vote:
All Change for Change nominations must be made using the application below. In-store solicitations or email requests alone will not be considered.
Three organizations will be placed on a ballot for each month. The organization with the majority of votes by Lexington Co-op staff will be the recipient of that month’s crowdfunding.
An organization can be placed on the ballot once/year. After that calendar year is over, you may submit another nomination to be considered for the following calendar year. Due to the volume of nominations we receive, we cannot put every nomination on the ballot for a staff vote. You are welcome to submit one nomination per calendar year.
If your organization has previously submitted a nomination through e-mail in 2023, you are welcome to re-submit that nomination through the form below.
Eligibility:
Your organization must provide service to communities within ten miles of our stores. Exceptions to this guideline can include farming/agricultural projects or organizations, disaster relief, or the regional or national cooperative movement.
The recipient must be a 501c3 non-profit organization, a farming or agricultural organization, or a cooperative organization. Organizations outside of these parameters are not eligible. For-profit small businesses are able to submit nominations for projects when there is a non-profit collaborator leading the project.
Recipients Chosen:
If your organization is chosen, we’ll work together on the promotional campaign and in-store education opportunities to staff and owners.
The Co-op must provide the funds in a check to be placed in the mail.
The dates of the fundraisers are based on a 4 or 5-week fiscal period, more or less aligning with the first and last weeks of the month, starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday.
No formal donation receipt is required - the Co-op does not receive any tax credits for these donations, and simply acts as the administrative party between your organization and the community of owners and shoppers who generously donate
Change for Change Nomination Form.
Nominations can be submitted through this form. The Lexington Co-op prioritizes organizations that:
Focus on food justice through accessibility, equity, and nutrition education
Work towards social justice and environmental justice
Build the local community through food and agriculture, arts and culture, or cooperation
Gift Card or Product Donations
Are you interested in a product donation, or gift card for your event or basket raffle? Read our donation guidelines and fill out this form.
GUIDELINES
At Lexington Co-op, we believe that a happy and healthy community depends on everyone being a good neighbor — it’s part of our cooperative spirit. We’re committed to supporting non-profits and organizations throughout the year that are doing good work in our communities, particularly through support of events, programs, and projects that focus on improving the quality of life of our community as it relates to health, nutrition, food access and equity, and the education of cooperative principles and consumer issues. Please review these guidelines before completing your application:
All requests must be made using the online donations applications. In-store solicitations or mail-in donation requests alone will not be considered.
One donation per year will be made to any organization. Please plan appropriately and decide when it is best to request a donation from Lexington Co-op.
Your organization or event must be located withing 10 miles of our stores. Some exceptions may apply.
The recipient must be a 501c3 nonprofit organization, a local area school, or a cooperative organization.
Application must be submitted minimum 30 days in advance of when it is needed.
The following are not eligible to receive donations from the Co-op: Political candidates, service clubs, fraternal organizations, third party fundraisers, private clubs funded through membership fees, sporting events or sports teams, and individuals.
Donations can be made in the form of a gift card or a product donation.
Donations Application:
While we wish we can support every worthwhile cause, due to the volume of requests, it is not possible for the Co-op to fulfill every one. We will try to accommodate as many requests as possible! There may be times when donation fulfillment will be placed on pause due to capacity or budgetary reasons. We will not be able to fulfill donations for requests that do not meet our guidelines or if an organization’s stated mission or goals is in conflict with Lexington Cooperative Market or the International Principles of Cooperation.