Banana Republic Steps Up to The Plate

A very innovative way to donate to nonprofit organizations during the coronavirus crisis

Banana Republic Visa Card holders recently received an email encouraging them to use their cards to support their local food service establishments with the promise that each purchase earns another dollar toward the retailer’s donation to World Central Kitchen (WCK).

It starts with this image and the brand announcing that it’s stepping up.

It continues with what it’s asking its customers to do.

Unlike the Vans special line of designs that are each linked to a specific community business to support, this doesn’t require any purchase from the brand itself. Only a use of the brand’s credit card to pay for orders from local food businesses is asked of their clients. And that support leads to more altruism when the brand donates a minimum of $250,000 and a maximum of $1 million to the nonprofit organization.

Whether it makes it up to the higher amount depends on cardholders making enough qualifying purchases between April 17th and May 17th, 2020 with up to a maximum of $1,000,000. The brand also spells out for its cardholders what the donations enable WCK to do:

  • Deliver fresh meals to communities in need, including seniors and children
  • Help restaurants and their employees get back to work through collaboration efforts
  • Feed frontline healthcare workers

This program is a nice idea in that it brings together the brand and its customers to step up to the plate and help others.