Toast Enables Its Restaurants to Raise $1.5M For Causes in the U.S.

Toast's Fundraising feature enables its restaurant customers to create campaigns for causes they care about; Toast.org also committed grants of $1M+ focused on addressing hunger around the world as a part of its annual Season of Giving celebration in November.

Toast (NYSE: TOST), the all-in-one technology platform built for restaurants, today announced a milestone for its Toast Fundraising feature, which enabled restaurants to raise $1.5M for various causes in 2023. Toast aims to support the restaurant community as changemakers and works to support this through its social impact arm, Toast.org, which built and launched capabilities for Toast POS customers to create campaigns for charitable causes in 2023. 

Available to all Toast customers at no additional cost, the Toast Fundraising feature enables restaurants to select a charitable cause to support, giving guests the option to round up their check to the next dollar and donate the difference or contribute a flat donation (depending on the campaign, as set up by the restaurant) when they close out their check. Campaigns are displayed to restaurant guests on the Toast Online Ordering module, Guest-Facing Display (GFD), and digital receipts.

“We consistently hear from our restaurant customers that they want to expand their local community impact, which is why we built Toast Fundraising,” said Jon Grimm, Toast Co-Founder and CTO of Toast.org. “The feature provides an easy way for restaurants to give back to their communities, raise awareness for causes they believe in, and connect with their guests in meaningful ways.”

Supporting Local Causes

The ability to do something to help those in need, especially during times of disaster, has been especially compelling for the restaurant community. In the wake of the Maui wildfires that devastated the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii, restaurants raised $150k using the Toast Fundraising feature to help various local recovery organizations. Other restaurants raised funds to alleviate hunger and to help community members with unexpected medical bills.

“The Toast Fundraising feature has allowed us to align ourselves with local organizations that we believe in and want to support. Our guests want to support businesses that are working with important causes and organizations, and it's been really rewarding to see that they're just as excited about giving back to our communities as we are,” said Chelsea Jennings, Sales and Marketing Manager at Revival Cafe + Kitchen, a cafe with multiple locations in the Boston area.

Season of Giving

To further bolster customer efforts, Toast.org has committed to matching up to $100k in donations to organizations focused on addressing food insecurity as part of its annual Season of Giving in November. Toast.org has also committed up to $1M to organizations focused on addressing food insecurity around the world. This additional commitment included $500k in grants directed by Toast employees to address food insecurity in their local communities and additional grants to support those in need during times of disaster.

“At World Central Kitchen, we believe that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis. The support we get from Toast.org and from the restaurant community helps us build kitchens and mobilize restaurants to provide nourishing meals to communities affected by disasters around the world,” said Erin Gore, CEO of World Central Kitchen.

To learn more about Toast's efforts to create a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world, please visit toast.org.