Get ready to break bread and raise some dough, because Panera Fundraising can take your charity game to the next level!
Picture this: Your favorite bakery-cafe chain, Panera Bread, joins forces with your non-profit organization.
You serve up scrumptious soups, salads, and sandwiches all while filling your fundraising piggy bank.
Sounds like a match made in carb heaven, right? Well, it’s not just a dream–it’s Panera Fundraising!
In this article, we’ll dive into this restaurant fundraising idea, exploring how Panera Bread can help you raise some serious green without sacrificing taste.
So grab your spoon, your favorite bread bowl, and your appetite for change, because we’re dishing out everything you need to know about Panera Fundraising!
Table of Contents
- What Is Panera Fundraising?
- Who Can Start A Panera Fundraiser?
- How To Set Up A Fundraiser At Panera
- How Much Money Can A Panera Fundraiser Make?
- Is Panera Fundraising Right For You?
What Is Panera Fundraising?
Panera Fundraising is a fundraising event idea where a portion of your supporters’ purchases are donated to your cause.
Additionally, the restaurant chain donates unsold baked goods to local nonprofits through their Day-End Dough-Nation program.
Finally, Panera offers gift card fundraising through their partnership with RaiseRight.
Below, we discuss how each one works.
How Does In-Cafe Panera Fundraising Work?
An in-cafe Panera fundraiser is a classic Dine to Donate fundraising idea.
20% of your supporters’ purchases on the day of the event are donated back to your cause.
To raise funds, you first pick a date. At this time, all in-restaurant events take place from 4-8 PM. However, online orders placed all day still count.
Then, you encourage your supporters to purchase food from the event location on that day.
You can promote your fundraiser with custom flyers and social media graphics.
(Note: You cannot distribute flyers to customers at the restaurant during the event. Only a portion of your supporters’ purchases will be donated back to your cause.)
On the day of the fundraiser, your supporters can order food in whatever way works best for them, including:
- Dine-in
- Drive-thru
- Pick-up
- Delivery
Just keep in mind that gift card purchases, catering orders, third-party delivery orders will not count.
Whichever method they choose, your supporters will have a unique promo code to ensure your cause is credited with the purchase.
Alternatively, guests can show a physical or digital fundraiser flyer to the cashier to ensure their purchase supports the cause.
Once the Panera fundraiser is over, the restaurant will review the results within seven days.
You’ll receive your payment via mail within 45 to 60 days of your event.
If you’re successful, you may consider hosting another one. However, be aware that you’re limited to one event every 30 days.
How Does The Day-End Dough-Nation Program Work?
Panera Bread’s Day-End Dough-Nation supports charities and programs by donating unsold baked goods.
This program supports over 3,300 charities nationwide, including:
- Food pantries
- Veteran services
- Youth shelters
Through this program, registered 501(c)(3) organizations can request these food donations. We’ll discuss eligibility for all Panera fundraising methods in more detail later on.
If approved, you can give out the products to people in need and underserved children. You just need to commit to picking it up on a weekly or recurring basis.
As of May 9, 2023, the Day-End Dough-Nation application is currently down. However, the company states they’re enhancing the program.
It’s expected to be up-and-running again later this month.
How Does Panera Gift Card Fundraising Work?
While gift card purchases don’t count toward your fundraising sales in traditional Panera fundraising, they do offer gift card fundraising.
To do this, the cafe-bakery chain works with a company called RaiseRight, which offers gift card fundraising for lots of restaurants.
Also called Scrip Fundraising, the process is simple.
First, you need to enroll and wait for approval. Fortunately, there’s no commitment, minimums, or fees. This means it’s risk-free to get started.
Then, you can send your unique enrollment code to your supporters.
From there, they can purchase physical or digital gift cards with the code, ensuring your organization gets a percentage of the purchase. You can even reload the physical cards with more money.
Best of all, you can choose from tons of different companies, so even those who don’t like Panera can contribute!
However, Panera does offer a high earning potential of up to 8%.
Who Can Start A Panera Fundraiser?
Only tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations, qualify for Panera fundraising at the moment. This includes:
- Nonprofit organizations
- Religious organizations
- Public schools
The same is true for the Day-End Dough-Nation program. For this program, the restaurant chain typically works with organizations like:
- After-school programs
- Backpack programs
- Domestic violence shelters
- Community free meals
- Food pantries
- Food rescue agencies
- Homeless shelters
- Immigrant/refugee shelters
- Low-income elderly housing
- Low-income health centers
- Mental health centers
- Outreach programs
- People with disabilities
- Recovery services
- Soup kitchens
- Veteran services
- Transitional homes
- Youth shelters
Finally, Panera Bread gift card fundraising is a little less restrictive since it’s run by RaiseRight.
This makes it a good option for nonprofits, community-based organizations, and even private schools. Some examples include:
- Public and private schools (tuition costs, supplies, programs)
- Churches (operating expenses, mission trips, youth programs)
- Sports teams (travel expenses, uniforms, equipment)
- Booster clubs
- PTO/PTA
- Bands
- Other Nonprofits
How To Set Up A Fundraiser At Panera
To set up a Panera fundraiser event at the restaurant, the first step is submitting an application.
Just enter in your zip code, and you’ll be able to see participating locations around you. Then, choose your location and select a date.
From there, you’ll be prompted to enter your email address. Once you click Sign Up, you’ll need to wait for the company to contact you.
To set up a Day-End Dough-Nation program, you’ll also need to fill out an application on the Panera Bread website.
Unfortunately, the application portal is currently down while the company makes improvements.
You can expect it to work again in the second half of May 2023.
You can also start a Panera gift card fundraiser by setting up a RaiseRight account. Just enter your organization details, create your account, and enroll.
The company should approve you within a few days so you can start raising funds!
Finally, if you’re really looking to raise a lot of funds, fill out this form and we’ll connect you with one of our fundraising partners. They offer tons of great products to raise funds for your cause, and we believe it’s the most profitable type of fundraising venture.
Note: We do not work directly with any restaurant partners, so the best way to work with them is to contact your local restaurant directly. To work with our partners, fill out our form and we’ll help you get started in no time!
How Much Money Can A Panera Fundraiser Make?
In 2021, Panera Bread Fundraising helped 3,805 organizations raise $390,705.
That breaks down to an average of almost $103 raised per fundraiser. However, some performed much better, and others worse.
The amount of money you can raise depends on the size of your supporter base. It’s also key to pick a convenient time and location so your donors can contribute.
Panera Fundraising Percentage
Panera Bread donates 20% of the net food and beverage sales.
While this number is better than the typical Chick-fil-A fundraiser (15%), it’s significantly lower than Chipotle fundraisers (33%).
However, whatever the donation percentage is, it can still work if your supporters love the restaurant.
So, think about what your community likes and doesn’t like before committing to a type of fundraiser.
You might even consider sending out a poll or survey to collect feedback so you can make an informed decision.
Is Panera Fundraising Right For You?
If your supporters like baked goods, wraps, and coffee, Panera fundraising could be the perfect option.
However, with a donation of 20% on net sales, there are definitely more profitable fundraising opportunities available.
So, if you want to raise as much money for your cause as possible, fill out this form and we’ll help you get on the path to success!
