Chipotle Debuts Digital Donations

Guests leveraging Chipotle Mexican Grill's digital ordering platform can now round up to the nearest dollar to help support under-resourced students returning to school.

Chipotle is also leveraging its new fundraising technology to help support under-resourced students returning to school. Through its first-ever digital fundraising program, Chipotle will support students across the country by donating 33% of fundraiser event sales back to local educational organizations using unique promotional codes.

Over nearly a decade, three-fourths of the brands in-restaurant fundraisers have been school related and raised more than $50 million for education-driven causes. Due to limitations with in-restaurant dining over the last few months, Chipotle has postponed these activities and is now introducing an online component to accompany the in-restaurant option. 

Through its first-ever digital fundraising program, Chipotle will support students by donating 33% of fundraiser event sales back to local educational organizations using unique promotional codes.

Round Up for Real Change
From August 31 through September 27, guests can round-up their change to the next highest dollar amount on the Chipotle app or Chipotle.com to support Kids In Need Foundation. The funds raised will go directly toward laptops and school supplies that will be delivered in Chipotle-branded backpacks with free meal cards to under-resourced junior high and high school students across the U.S.

"As a digitally forward company, we understand the importance of equipping students with capable technology to aid the effectiveness of virtual learning this school year," said Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer. "Our partnership with the Kids In Need Foundation combined with our guests' support through the real change digital fundraising program on the Chipotle app will broaden opportunities for many kids as well as their communities."

Computer Access in the U.S.
More than 7 million children in the U.S. do not have computers at home, and this lack of access disproportionately affects children from Black, Latino and Native American households. The achievement gap among these households is expected to worsen as the country leans on virtual learning to begin the school year. Through its support for the Kids In Need Foundation, Chipotle hopes to narrow the digital divide and provide laptops for students without computers across the country.

Continuing to Drive Real Change
From August 8 to August 31, Chipotle spotlighted Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), an American non-profit organization that supports and represents students attending its 47 member-schools that include publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical schools, and law schools. Since June, Chipotle has leveraged the real change feature to raise more than $1,400,000 for organizations supporting underserved communities.

To learn more about Chipotle's local fundraising program, visit: community.chipotle.com